5 Steps to Preparing for an Electric Vehicle Home Charger

If you’ve recently purchased a new electric vehicle (EV) to drive through Livonia roads, congratulations! Electric vehicles have a variety of benefits, including reducing your carbon footprint and saving money on fuel. To prepare your home for an electric vehicle in Canton, it’s important to make sure that you have the power required to install a charger in your garage so that you have an easy and reliable way to charge your EV. Learn more about what it takes to prepare your home with Gordon Chevrolet, Inc. today!

1. Decide on a Charging Type (AKA Charging Level)

You’ll find that there are two types of charging available for your EV. How long it takes to charge your EV will vary depending on the type of charger used:

• Level 1 EV charging takes days to fully charge an electric car and is typically used as a backup means of charging.
• Level 2 EV charging takes several hours to fully charge an electric car. You can often get between 60-200 miles of range in just 20-30 minutes with Level 2 DC charging, though. For this reason, most people intermix daytime “top-off” charging with overnight charging.

2. Ready Your Garage

A clean garage makes for an efficient EV delivery! Your home charger will more than likely be installed in your garage, so make sure you clear out a space for it. Do this before your EV is delivered, so that a charging system can be easily and quickly installed.

3. Find Your Power Panel & Assess Consumption

A power panel distributes electricity throughout your entire home. It’s typically rated for a maximum amount of current, measured in Amperes. Many new homes come with a 100 Amp power panel, but be sure to double-check your main circuit breaker to get the number for your home. 

With this information, figure out how much electricity you use on a consistent basis. Perform a self-assessment of your electricity use before installing your EV charging system. You want to make sure you’re not overloading your electric distribution panel. 

4. Hire an Electrician

The next step is to hire an electrician. Ask them any questions you may have about how adding an electric vehicle charging station will impact your power consumption or the installation process. You can also ask them to install a 240V plug to add a hardwired circuit to the back of the power panel to make it sufficient for your charging station. This typically costs a few hundred dollars, but it can be up to $3,000 if your power panel requires an upgrade. 

5. Buy Your Charger & Have it Professionally Installed

Last but not least, purchase your charger and have it installed! Schedule a time and have it professionally installed by your preferred electrician in Plymouth.

Contact Gordon Chevrolet, Inc. to Learn More!

If you have any questions about how to prep your home for an EV or your electric vehicle charging batteries, contact us. You can also visit us in Garden City to explore your financing options in person or use our payment calculator at home to get an idea of what your monthly payments will look like. We look forward to helping you upgrade with a new EV!