How to Prep Your Home for an EV

You’ve done your research and know the benefits of driving a Chevy EV, and you’re just about ready to make the switch to electric. But you’re not sure how to prepare your home for an electric vehicle. Switching from gasoline to electric vehicle charging batteries doesn’t have to be intimidating—not when Five Star Chevrolet has the information you need about purchasing and installing an electric vehicle home charger. We’ll go over the first five steps you need to take to prepare your home for an electric vehicle, and you’re welcome to contact us with your questions about electric vehicle charging stations, Chevy electric vehicles, and more.

1. Decide on a Charging Level

This is a relatively simple decision. There are two electric vehicle home charger levels to choose from:

• Level 1 EV charging uses a charging cable plugged into a 120V three-prong outlet. While it might seem convenient, it often takes days to fully charge an electric car this way.
• Level 2 EV charging often takes several hours to fully charge an electric car. Most electric vehicle home chargers are Level 2. They’re excellent for charging your car while you’re at home in Robins Air Force Base or Macon. Since you don’t need to stay with your EV while it’s on an electric vehicle home charger, you can even charge up while you sleep.

Level 3 chargers use DC currents, so they’re not available for home charging. You’ll find Level 3 DC fast charging stations in public places. They can provide a full battery charge in less than an hour in some cases.

2. Prepare Your Garage

While it’s safe to install your electric vehicle charging station outside, chances are you’ll prefer having it in your garage. Outdoor charging is safe, but no one wants to go outside in a Byron thunderstorm to plug in. So, this is a great excuse to tackle cleaning out your garage before your EV arrives.

3. Find Your Power Panel & Assess Consumption

Your home’s power panel distributes electricity throughout the house, and it has a maximum amount of current flow that’s measured in Amperes. Most newer homes like you’ll find in Warner Robins have 100-amp power panels. The amperage rating should be printed on your main circuit breaker. You can perform a self-assessment of your electricity usage before installing your electric vehicle home charger.

4. Hire an Electrician

Once you have an idea of what kind of electric vehicle home charging station you want and where you want it installed, contact an electrician to get a price quote. If your home has an up-to-date electrical system, this could cost as little as a few hundred dollars. If your power panel isn’t sufficient and needs to be upgraded, it can cost up to $3,000.

5. Buy Your Charger & Have it Installed

The service department at Five Star Chevrolet can help you decide which charger is best for your home, and your electrician can do the installation.

Contact Five Star Chevrolet to Learn More!

Now that you know more about electric vehicle charging batteries at home, keep researching electric vehicles with articles from Five Star Chevrolet on Chevy Bolt EV charging times and more. Then pay us a visit to test drive a Bolt, Chevy Silverado EV or any other of our growing EV lineup!