What to Know When Buying Your First Home EV Charging Station

10Dec
by Ryan DalPezzo, Owner  
0

What To Know When Buying Your First Home EV Charging Station

More and more people are buying fully Electric Vehicles (EVs), which can be a great choice for both the environment and your fuel bills. However, owning an EV does mean you also need at least one EV charging system at home, which is properly installed and works with your vehicle.

This can be a bit confusing since there are multiple competing styles and standards for home EV chargers. So, let’s take a look at some of the most important things to know.

Charger Compatibility

There’s mostly good news here: the majority of EVs on the market use a common standard for charging systems, so most off-the-shelf chargers should work with your vehicle. The one major exception are Tesla’s, which have their own charging standard. So, in that case, you’ll have to buy your home EV chargers from Tesla directly.

Voltage

The biggest choice to make when picking your first EV charging station at home is whether it should be 120v or 240v. These are standards that describe how much power is delivered and, therefore, how quickly your vehicle can charge.

120v is the slowest and cheapest, making it a popular choice among people trying to upgrade to EVs on a budget. However, it is veryslow and will typically take most of a day to charge an EV. Since a Phase 1 charger only requires 120v of power from a standard outlet, it is quite easy to install, and you may not need an electrician. Be aware, this application can overheat the outlet, causing hazardous conditions.

240v is the most common type of home charger and capable of charging vehicles in just a few hours. It can potentially be plugged into a 240v outlet, if you have one, or can be wired directly to your electrical system – an installation that must be handled by electrical experts!

Location

Finally, think about where in your garage the home EV charger will go. Ideally, it should be located near a specialty 240v outlet. If one isn’t available, you’ll have to hire electrical experts to wire the charger directly to your home’s grid. In this case, the charger could be placed almost anywhere.

Need more help? RD Matthews Electrical Contracting is here! Contact us for expert advice and services when installing home EV charging stations!