How to Prepare Your Home for an Electric Vehicle

If you’re thinking about picking up a new electric car, you might wonder how to prepare your home for an electric vehicle. The good news is that you can charge your brand new EV right in the comfort of your home, but you’ll need to install your electric vehicle charging station first. What goes into setting up your electric vehicle charging station? Find out with Welborn GMC Of Cartersville, and learn how easy it is to take care of your new car!

1. Decide on a Charging Level

Electric vehicle charging batteries can take multiple types of charging, so you’ll need to figure out which “charging level” is right for you. While you can find DC Fast Chargers at public charging stations, most Rome and Acworth drivers opt for Level 1 or Level 2.

• Level 1 EV charging can take days to fully charge an electric car. 
• Level 2 EV usually takes several hours to fully charge an electric car.

2. Ready Your Garage

Before you get your electric vehicle home charger installed, we recommend taking inventory of your garage. What should stay and what should go? Decluttering your space is a great way to make more room for your new car and electric vehicle home charger, but it also makes your electrician’s job much easier when it comes to installation.

3. Find Your Power Panel & Assess Consumption

Now that you know what type of electric vehicle charging station you want, you’ll need to check how much electricity you currently use. The power panel in your home is rated for a maximum amount of current flow, which is measured in Amperes. An average power panel in Canton will be around 100 Amps, but double check to make sure. See how much energy you use on a typical day with a self-assessment, so you can tell if your current panel can support electric vehicle charging batteries as well. If not, you might need an upgrade.

4. Hire an Electrician

Hire a qualified electrician to discuss any questions you have. Your electrician will help you decide the best plan of action for your electric vehicle home charger. Installing a dedicated 240-volt plug or add a hardwired circuit back to the power panel is the easiest option, which usually costs a few hundred dollars. If you need to upgrade your power panel, that could cost between $1,000 and $3,000.

5. Buy Your Charger & Have it Installed

Now that you have all the information that you need, it’s time to pick up your charger and have it installed. After the process is complete, you can easily take care of electric vehicle charging batteries at home!

Contact Welborn GMC Of Cartersville to Learn More!

Now you know how to prepare your home for an electric vehicle, but what other questions do you have? Contact us at Welborn GMC Of Cartersville to learn more or visit our dealership in Cartersville. Our team would be happy to help you learn more about the Buick GMC lineup – including the upcoming GMC Hummer EV!