Every consumer who is considering purchasing an electric car must consider at least two major issues. Where will they charge their vehicle while on the road and electric car home charging? This post is going to focus on electric car home charging stations for electric-only vehicles. Hybrid vehicles use the car’s gasoline engine, brakes, etc to recharge the batteries are not considered part of the subject of this post.
What do you Need for electric car home charging stations?
There are some practical aspects to consider when installing electric car charging stations. For example, you will need an electrician to install the plugin or near your garage, wherever you park your car. It should be at least 30 amps capacity and have a chord that will reach to wherever your car is parked.
Go large. In other words, it may cost less to install a 15 amp charger, but a 30 amp charger will charge your batteries more quickly. This is a consideration for this vehicle and your planned use as well as future vehicles. Electric cars are evolving and many standards may change. With a larger capacity system you should be ok for all of the future charging systems, whatever they are. It can be frustrating to wait around for your car’s batteries to charge.
The cost will vary by location, but somewhere between $500 to $1000 seems to be the norm. Regardless follow the specifications provided by the dealer. Build as much flexibility and capacity into the installation as you can depending on the additional cost. Some charging cables can also be portable. If so take advantage of this feature if you plan to move in the near future. Note, that having an electric charging system at home is also a sales feature when it comes time to sell your home.
For more posts about electric vehicles, click here.