How to prepare your home for electric vehicle charging

You must prepare your home for an electric vehicle (EV) to get the best from your EV. Your EV will at least need to be charged up when you are ready to take it out. This way, you will not have to think so much about the accessibility and proximity of charging stations. Here, we will explain how to prepare your home for electric vehicle charging.

You can read up on options for charging an EV at home, steps to prepare for your EV charging, and safety precautions for home EV charger installations. The post wraps up by exploring EV charging options, incentives for buying an EV charger, and the benefits of charging electric cars with solar power.

Options for Charging an EV At Home

• Using your home's energy supply to charge your EV is usually the most convenient option for EV charging. You can enjoy the convenience of charging an electric vehicle at home without needing a public charger or public charging station.

• It is also one of the cheapest options to power your vehicle. Some options open to you for EV charging at home include the following:

• You can draw power from your home and use an electric vehicle charger cable to charge your EV overnight.

• Some apartments may have off-street parking that you can use.

• If there is no access to a garage, you can install a charging station in an appropriate common area of your apartment complex. 

• It can be more challenging to install an electric vehicle charger in apartments. In any case, you should seek approval from the apartment building owner or strata manager.

• Alternatively, you can charge your EV at work, as some workplaces have free charging stations.

Preparing Your Home for EV Charging

A licensed electrician can help you decide on the available power as you prep your home for an EV. This way, you will not cause an electric distribution panel overload. Your electrical contractor will set up a dedicated circuit from your switchboard to the charger location.

You will thus have to consider the distance between the switchboard and your charger and how to route the cabling. You must prepare your garage space as you prepare your home for electric vehicle charging. You have to clean the space out for an easy setup process.

Can your home's electrical power charge your EV?

Confirm that your home's electrical power supply is suitable for EV charging. Your home should be able to handle the charging load. A three-phase power supply typically provides much faster EV charging than a single-phase supply.

You can confirm your home's phase power type by checking the width of the main switch in your switchboard. A one-pole wide switch indicates a single-phase power supply and a three-pole wide switch that appears like a triple switch indicates a three-phase power supply.

Confirming your home's electrical upgrade needs

• Homes with a 200A breaker box can sufficiently accommodate new electric appliances.

• It is usually sufficient for Level 1 chargers to operate off regular 120V power outlets. They can usually provide up to 60 miles worth of charge overnight.

• Level 2 chargers may require that you add dedicated circuits and outlets.

• Level 2 chargers also require you to pre-wire your home with heavy-duty wiring. You will also need circuit breakers.

Electric vehicle charger installation process

• It is relatively easy to get your home EV-ready if you have an outdoor space or access to a garage. EVs have charging units that can use a standard 240V power cable. However, this method of EV charging can be slow if you want a full charge. 

• Getting a licensed electrician to install a fast charging station (Wallbox) for a faster solution is best. Note that a Wallbox needs to bear the RCM 'tick' mark and comply with all relevant Australian Standards.

• Your licensed electrician will first assess the ideal position for your EV charger. Remember to discuss the charger placement with the electrician. You should know the convenient placement if you usually reverse park your EV at home.

The EV charging port can be at your cars front, rear, or vice versa

• You will need a permit from your local permitting office to install a 240V outlet in your garage or outdoors. You may also need a plan review.

• The electric service panel may need a 240 V circuit breaker installation. Remember to turn the breakers to OFF after the installation.

• Afterward, you can route the electric cable to your EV charger location and install the 240V outlet.

• Your electrician can then attach the mounting bracket to the stud. The electric vehicle charger's mounting bracket will also need an attachment to a stud on your garage wall.

• Subsequently, the wall station can be plugged into the outlet, and the circuit breakers can be turned on.

• It is now time to plug your wall station into the power outlet.

Safety precautions for home EV charger installations

• Hire a licensed electrician for all installation and repair services related to home charging stations.

• Following the manufacturer's EV charging guidelines will help improve electrical and fire safety.

• Home EV charger installations are best done in a safe and secure spot. This is usually in your garage or outdoors.

• There should be enough wall space to mount the charger and no obstructions around it.

EV charging efficiency factors

Various factors influence how well electric cars can be charged at home.

• While single-phase switchboards can reliably charge electric cars, three-phase switchboards will charge the car much faster.

• You must factor in the appropriate charger type (level 1 or 2), EV charger needs, and how much the EV will be driven.

• It is more convenient if the installation area is wifi receptive. EV chargers need wifi to communicate with your smartphone app.

• Similarly, it is a wise precaution to have an extra data point close by in case your car charger requires a wifi or data connection. Home batteries already need such a connection to work with monitoring systems.

Off-peak and controlled load charging modes

Your EV charger can use either off-peak or controlled load charging mode to power your EV. Off-peak charging gives you the advantage of charging your electric vehicle when electricity bills are cheaper than when most people use power.

Some electric vehicle chargers' timer or eco-friendly feature allows you to delay charging until off-peak rates are available. On the other hand, controlled load charging is an electricity rate or tariff plan that electricity networks provide for high-energy appliances such as pool pumps.

Exploring EV Charging Options

You must consider what charging level is best for you as you look for an EV charger for your home. Your choice lies between home electrical vehicle chargers (Level 1 and 2), DC fast chargers, and public chargers.

Level One

Level 1 charger only needs a regular electricity outlet. Such chargers are complementary to your EV and are usually free.

Level Two

Level 2 chargers are charging stations that need a dedicated circuit. Their charging speeds are higher than those for level 1 charger. With a dedicated level 2 EV charger at home, you can enjoy a faster charging experience between 3 and 10 times faster than your standard wall outlet. The electric range per hour is up to 10-30 miles, whereas a level 1 charger can only provide around 3-5 miles of range per hour.

You will likely need to upgrade your switchboard to a three-phase one if you are using a single-phase and need to install a level 2 charger. For safety and compliance, it is best that you only hire a level 2 electrician to upgrade the switchboard, connect, and install the electric car charger.

Level Three DC fast chargers

DC fast chargers use 480 V power to charge EVs. This makes their EV charging rate increase by around ten more miles per minute of charging time. If getting your home EV-ready is not feasible, you can still rely on public charging stations.

Public chargers are in public locations such as shopping centres, workplaces, car dealerships, and hotels. They have reasonably fast charging times and use high current levels that may otherwise be unavailable to you.

Incentives for Buying an EV Charger

Several incentives are available to offset some of the EV and an EV charger purchase. These incentives include the following:

• Electric Ready Incentives from electric utilities can help reduce the costs of electrical upgrades.

• EV Purchase Incentives: You may confirm what Federal and State incentives are available for your EV purchase.

• EV charger Incentives: You may be able to benefit from Federal incentives for home EV charger installations and wiring installations.

Benefits of Charging Electric Cars with Solar Power

There are several benefits of using renewable or solar energy for EV charging. Charging your car with solar power in the daytime makes business sense as you can for both your EV and your solar installation.

Charging your EV for free in the daytime if you have installed solar panels is possible. Add home solar batteries to the installation setup, and you can store solar energy for overnight EV charging. Your energy provider can advise you on any other limitations.

Electricians Provide Home EV Charging Services

This post lets you know more about how to prepare your home for electric vehicle charging. A licensed electrical contractor can aid you with all the processes involved in getting and installing an EV charger. They will ensure that other components, such as circuit breakers and safety switches, work compatible with your EV charger.

Professional electrical contractors also have expert EV charger installers who can install solar panels and battery storage solutions for a more eco-friendly charging experience while installing your EV charger. You can rely on them to repair or replace private power poles, and they can perform safety inspections on electrical devices such as safety alarms.