A Level 2 EV charger makes “fueling” your car easy.
images courtesy of © Enel X Way

Positive energy

A look at the benefits of installing a home charging system for your electric vehicle

by ERIK J. MARTIN

With perks like zero emissions, quiet operation, high reliability and cheaper operating costs, electric vehicles (EVs) have motorists buzzing. But if you’re thinking about buying an EV, you’re probably going to need a better plan to keep it juiced than the basic plug-in charger that comes with the car. You’re going to want to look at installing a more powerful, faster-charging home system.

Set the stage to save

There are two kinds of EV home chargers. A Level 1 charger, included with most EVs, is simply a cable that plugs into a port on your car while the other end plugs into a standard 120-volt household outlet. It provides a steady but slow charge to your EV’s battery, often at a charging rate of 3 miles per hour. According to Costco member Ben Kolo, owner of commercial and business electrical service Mr. Electric of Central Iowa, this type of charging is best suited to overnight use and can take 20 hours or longer to fully charge an EV battery.

A Level 2 home charging system consists of a wall- or pedestal-mounted device connected to a dedicated 240-volt circuit in your home’s electrical panel. It can recharge up to 50 miles per hour, supplying a full charge in only three hours, depending on the range of your EV.

Practical power matters

Recharging time depends on your battery’s size, the EV’s charging speed and the charging system’s power output (see “Time and cost”).

“EV home charging systems are rated in kilowatts [kW], with the most common power outputs being 3.3 kW, 6.6 kW and 11 kW,” says Costco member Carl Kasalek, owner of WattLogic, a Phoenix-based home charger installation provider.

Shawn McLaughlin, a Costco member in Littleton, Colorado, is thrilled with the speedy Level 2 system—providing an 11.5-kW charge—installed in his garage to serve his Tesla Model Y and Rivian RS1.

“I charge each car twice a week [to] 40% to 80% battery capacity to maximize long-term battery health,” he says. “It takes approximately three to four hours to charge each vehicle and costs me about $8.50 for the Tesla and $12.50 for the Rivian.”

Get professional help

If you decide to install a Level 2 charger, count on hiring a professional who can best determine the proper placement of the system based on proximity to your electrical panel and other factors.

“Your charger will need to be installed by a licensed electrician and conform to all National Electrical Code and local permit code requirements,” Kolo says, adding that you’ll probably need to obtain a permit from your municipality. He says most Level 2 charging stations are installed near a home’s entrance or in the garage near a breaker box. It will require a dedicated 40-amp, 240-volt circuit with the necessary wire gauge to handle the amperage to support the quicker charging.

Kasalek says an expert can recommend the right-size charger that your current electrical panel can support and whether that will meet your needs based on the amount you drive daily and your EV’s battery. Pro tip: Most EVs use what’s called a J1772 connector; if your charger doesn’t have this, you’ll need a special adapter to work with a Level 2 charger.

The price tag

Most EV home charger hardware costs span from a few hundred dollars to a couple of thousand. Electrician labor expenses have a similar range, but may run to several thousand dollars. Your final price depends on the charging system brand and model you buy, where you install it and the complexity of the installation. You may need to add a new circuit to your panel to accommodate the charging station, or even upgrade your panel.

While you can save money overall by driving an EV, it’s wise to figure the cost of installing a Level 2 charger into the price of buying an EV.

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