How to Prep Your Garage for an EV Home Charger

Buying a new vehicle is exciting, especially if you you’ve made the decision to go electric with a vehicle like the new Volkswagen ID.4. But, while going electric can save you money and give you access to a highly-tech-savvy vehicle, it also isn’t without its potential hiccups. 

One main thing to consider is whether or not you’ve prepped your garage for an EV home charger. You don’t want to take delivery of a new Volkswagen EV only to realize that the cost to install an EV charger at home is too high or you haven’t adequately prepared your home for said electric vehicle. So read on to find out Ide VW of East Rochester’s tips and tricks for readying your home garage for an EV home charger or contact us with questions!

1. Decide on a Charging Type (AKA Charging Level)

There are two main types, or levels, of EV charging: Level 1 and Level 2. Here are the details on both, with information on specifically how long it often takes to charge an EV in Pittsford with each:

• Level 1 EV charging often takes days to fully charge an electric car. 
• Level 2 EV charging often takes several hours to fully charge an electric car. You can often get between 60-200 miles of range in just 20-30 minutes with Level 2 DC charging, though. For this reason, most people intermix daytime “top-off” charging with overnight charging.

2. Ready Your Garage

Make sure that you clean out your home garage in preparation for an electric vehicle home charger or EV charging system. That means, you’ll have to start early if you have lots of clutter and items to store or sell. Once your Webster garage is free of clutter and you can fit your car inside, you can begin assessing your power needs. You may also wish to do things like paint the garage floor, install wall mounts or cabinets, or other means to jazz up your storage space while you’re at it, if your budget allows.

3. Find Your Power Panel & Assess Consumption

Your home power panel distributes electricity throughout the entire house. It should be rated for a maximum amount of current flow, measured in Amperes. A vast majority of new homes around Fairport built today come with a 100 Amp power panel, but there should be an amperage rating printed on your main circuit breaker.

After you’ve found your power panel, it’s time to assess your average electricity. This is important to ensure that you avoid overloading your electric distribution panel.

4. Hire an Electrician

This is a step you won’t want to skip. Hire an electrician. Trust us. If desired, you can have them install a 240-volt plug or add a hardwired circuit back to the power panel. Usually this costs a few hundred dollars, but it could cost you up to $1,000 or even $3,000 if the electrician notices that your power panel is not sufficient as-is and requires upgrading. 

5. Buy Your Charger & Have it Installed

Have you bought a home charger for your EV yet? If not, now is the time to do so! Make sure you get it professionally installed, too.

Contact Ide VW of East Rochester to Learn More!

Ready to learn more about how to prepare your home for an electric vehicle or assess the benefits of an EV vs. the cost to install an EV charger at home? Call (585) 586-2225 and we’ll be glad to further assist you. Meanwhile, see how much you could save on your next Volkswagen ID.4 EV by browsing our current ID.4 lease offers.