Your home can accommodate not just your current needs but future demands too! As the
popularity of electric vehicles continues to grow, we’ve been outfitting more homes and garages
with dedicated electric vehicle charging systems.
Some homeowners choose this when they are building a home, whether they own an electric
vehicle or not, to prepare for the future. Other times, we do electric car charger installations in
existing homes, helping those homeowners understand what may need to change in their
current home wiring to accommodate the new system.
Rest assured, we will get the job done efficiently while prioritizing your goal of energy efficiency.
Not all electricians are equipped to install and maintain electric car charging stations. That’s why
we wanted to share a little of our experience and answer the questions you may still have
around this topic. We’re confident we can help you with this work.
Here’s another photo of a sleek and simple carport design with the charging station on the left.
Here’s general information if you are new to electric car charging.
Why can’t I just use an extension cord to charge my car?
You cannot charge an electric vehicle(EV) without the appropriate charger because there is a
communication process that must take place between the charger and the car before it will
accept power. Technically, the charger is inside the electric car and what’s on a garage wall is
an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) module that corresponds with the car, although
people commonly call the module a charger. Also, extension cord plugs won’t fit an electric car.
Can I use the charger that came with the car?
Every electric vehicle(EV) comes with a standard charger, however every manufacturer supplies
different equipment. Some are portable Level 2 (240-volt) chargers that are fine to use for daily
charging. Others are very low-power Level 1 (120-volt) units that will charge the vehicle slowly.
These 120-volt units will only replenish 2 to 5 miles of range per hour, and many EV owners
won’t find that fast enough to utilize the full potential of their EV. It may, however, be enough to
charge a plug-in hybrid.
Where should I install my charging station?
Not all charging stations are water-proof and any one of them may be affected by extreme
weather. So taking into consideration the climate where you live, you may want to consider a
covered or indoor area for your charging station, like a garage. Also charging station cables can
vary in length. You will need to consider that as well as the size of your battery, how fast you
want to charge, if you’d like a dual charging station, etc to determine where we orient this
system in your new or current layout because these choices affect the overall wiring of your
home. Below is a schematic demonstrating optimal outlet placement for a 240V Level 2 home
charging.
You don’t need to be an expert nor should you do the work on your own with electric charging. It’s a speciality of ours for a reason. If you’re getting an electric car or see the value in accommodating your home for this trend, we’ll take the guesswork out of the garage work that needs to happen.
Let’s talk about where you’re at in the process now. We can even provide a free estimate. Just go here.
