Prepare Your Home for an Electric Vehicle

One of the biggest benefits of EV ownership is the ability to fuel up at home. While there are plenty of public stations around Arlington and Washington D.C., installing your own private electric vehicle charging station is a major convenience. Find out how to prepare your home for an electric vehicle with help from Alexandria Volkswagen, and get one step closer to your next EV!

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

What level of charging speed do you expect? Everyone has access to Level 1 charging, but Level 2 is usually preferred by Springfield drivers. Here’s an overview of the two options:

• Level 1 EV charging means plugging your car into any grounded outlet. It is readily accessible, but it takes days to fully charge an electric car.
• Level 2 EV charging involves installing electric vehicle home charger, but it only takes several hours to fully charge an electric car.

If you have a plug-in hybrid, Level 1 might be enough for your needs. However, most EV owners will be happier with a Level 2 home charger.

2. Ready Your Garage

One of the best ways to prepare your home for an electric vehicle is to clean out your garage. Not only will this ensure that you have a nice space to place your new electric vehicle charging station, but it will also make things much easier for your electrician – which means a faster, smoother installation process.

3. Find Your Power Panel & Assess Consumption

Your home has a power panel that distributes electricity throughout the entire house. Most homes around Alexandria have a 100 Amp power panel, but you can look at the main circuit breaker to see what you have. It’s important to perform a self-assessment of your electricity use before scheduling your installation, because you want to make sure you don’t overload your power panel. An electric vehicle charging batteries can use up a lot of energy.

4. Hire an Electrician

Next, hire an electrician. When you talk about your power consumption, your electrician will go through the options that will work the best for your household. Many homeowners simply get a dedicated 240-volt plug or a hardwired circuit on the power panel – which usually costs a few hundred dollars. But if you need a power panel upgrade, that can raise your bill to $1,000 or $3,000.

5. Buy Your Charger & Have it Installed

Now that you have a plan all worked out with the electrician of your choice, it’s time to get to work! Purchase your chosen charger if you haven’t already, and schedule your installation. You’ll have your electric vehicle charging batteries in no time.

Contact Alexandria Volkswagen to Learn More

If you have other questions about how to prepare your home for an electric vehicle, be sure to contact us for more information. We’d be happy to help. Our team at Alexandria Volkswagen can introduce you to models like the Volkswagen ID.4, so visit us in Alexandria to find out more!