Electric vehicles, pardon the pun, spark heated debates. They have their devotees and their haters, but the EV industry is doing its best to overcome old myths and fears (like being stuck on the road when the weather gets cold or when you can’t find a charging station), so it can attract new adopters. So far, it’s working—the industry is improving its cars and trucks rapidly with more competitive price and improved charging infrastructure and other technologies, and experts say that there’ll be approximately 35 million EVs on U.S. roads by 2030, a sharp rise from only 97,102 vehicles sold in 2013. This means that roughly 28 million residential charging ports will be needed in addition to public charging stations.
Homes with EV charging stations are more desirable to homebuyers as are homes that utilize other smart technologies. You can charge an EV battery cheaper than buying a tank of gas—a cost of about $3 to $6 to travel 200 miles, compared to $30-$60 for gas. Furthermore, using an at-home charging station is much cheaper than using public charging stations.
Charging technologies are improving constantly, with faster charging times and greater, longer-lasting energy storage, along with advancements in making EVs lighter in weight to offer ranges from 200 to 300 miles on a single charge and expanding electric capabilities to larger, heavier vehicles like trucks. The price of batteries is also improving with time, making owning a new EV more affordable. EVs by design have fewer parts that can break down, and they reduce gas emissions, improve air quality, and can hold a charge long enough for owners to get around during blackouts.
States like California, Washington, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and the District of Columbia are now mandating that gas-powered cars not be sold after 2035. Other states, like Colorado, are not banning gas-powered cars, but are monitoring the progress of cars with zero emissions. EV adoption in states like Mississippi, West Virginia, and North Dakota is slow due to fewer state incentives to go electric and lower levels of consumer awareness.
The biggest reasons cited by car buyers for avoiding EVs are the lack of charging stations, how long it takes to charge a vehicle, and the limited range a vehicle can go on a single charge. But that’s all changing with new technologies that have increased average EV efficiency by 15% and the average range by about 200% in just 10 or so years. But the most welcome changes are to EV battery charging, that are now ultra-fast and wireless, with on-site energy storage and grid feedback that lowers electricity costs much like solar panels.
According to QMerit.com, most EV owners charge their cars in their own garages. An EV charging station costs between $1000 and $2000 to install, not including upgrades to electric panels, permitting, site availability, and other potential costs.
Electrical panels are designed to distribute electricity to individual circuits at 120 volts. Most EV manufacturers/retailers supply Level 1 chargers for use at home. These can be plugged into AC outlets using 120-volt standard outlets, but the problem is that it takes an hour to produce enough charge to the car’s battery to go a paltry 5 miles, or 30 miles after six hours of charging. It takes over 40 hours to fully charge, which is inefficient and burdensome for commuters.
That’s why a Level 2 EV charger is essential for home use, enabling you to charge your vehicle five to seven times faster. Level 2 EV chargers require commercial-grade outlets and a higher grade of materials, such as copper wiring instead of aluminum, as well as a 240-volt circuit. You’ll need a licensed, EV-experienced electrician to calculate the charger load and to see if the existing panel can accommodate the amps needed for EV charging on top of your other electrical usage, which can be determined by your past electrical bills. Even if your electrical panel delivers as much as 200 volts, you could require a panel upgrade to charge your vehicle as often as 4-10 hours per night.
The consequences of overloading a panel with inadequate amperage and/or improperly installing or using a charging station are severe. Because Level 2 EV chargers deliver between 16 and 80 amps of power to your EV, the “circuit’s continuous load can’t exceed 80% of a breaker’s capacity.” You’ll need a 100-amp breaker installed by a licensed electrician. Installing the wrong wiring, low-quality components, or insufficient amperage could result in melted crucial components or, in the worst case, an electrical fire. In addition, your EV warranty could exclude payment for faulty charging, damage to the battery, or vehicle.
Locating the charging station in the wrong area could result in inefficient charging and a battery that degrades too rapidly. You can install the charger outdoors, but it will need protection from the elements, and to integrate attractively into your landscape. A better solution is your garage, but you’ll still need to consider “the available space, distance to the electrical panel, complexity of wiring requirements, trenching needs, and cable length restrictions.”
Home sellers who offer these advanced at-home charging stations can make their homes stand out from the competition, especially if they install dual or multiple charging stations for two-car families and luxury homes. Not only have they overcome hurdles like local building codes and regulations, permits, professional labor, and expensive electrical upgrades, but they’ve already had the charging station(s) installed.
Needless to say, installing an outdated, inadequate, or unsafe charging station will not add any value to your home. Soon, automakers are going to adopt the North American Charging Standard. NACS charging will improve performance, but currently, NACS plugs are only available at commercial charging stations and in some residential products, which makes high-quality wiring even more important. If you’re going to future-proof your charging station investment, make sure that you pick a model that either currently supports or can be easily upgraded to the NACS. Don’t buy charging equipment anywhere but through an authorized dealer where the product has been thoroughly tested and certified.
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