Sales of electronic vehicles continue to increase every year. And with that comes greater demand for at-home EV charging stations.
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According to Cox Automotive, the parent company of Kelley Blue Book, EV sales in last year’s third quarter hit 346,309. That’s nearly 9% of all car sales in the period -- a quarterly record.
Homebuyer demand for charging stations hasn’t quite kept pace, but it is growing, especially among buyers of new homes. According to the National Association of Home Builders, charging stations are not yet "must-have" features. Still, the share of buyers who want one has more than doubled over the last decade, from 23% to 49%. (Compare that with existing houses: In surveys by the National Association of Realtors, charging stations aren't even on the list of desired features.)
Unfortunately, only about 1 in 4 builders say they are likely to include a charging station in the houses they build this year. And Congress has allocated $5 billion to increase the number of charging stations along the nation’s highways, but that doesn’t help homeowners who want to charge their cars at their own places.
If you are a homeowner in the market for an EV, you should first check with your homeowners association to determine if it allows EV chargers. Then, hire a licensed, insured electrician to look at your electrical panel. They can determine whether you need to “heavy up” to install a 240-volt circuit.
There are several types of chargers to choose from, and the charger's distance from your electrical panel will impact the installation cost. According to ChargePoint, an EV charger manufacturer, most people’s chargers are 15 to 30 feet from the panel. (Note that some EV batteries don’t need to be charged to 100% capacity. The manufacturer may recommend charging to 80% and supplementing power with the vehicle’s regenerative braking system. Follow the recommendations and guidelines that came with your car.)
If all you want is a 120-volt charger, also called a Level 1 unit, you may not need any special installation. Level 1 units use household AC current, and the portable charging cables that come with most new EVs should suffice. The unit supplies current to the vehicle’s charging control unit (CCU), which converts it to DC power.
Level 1 units are the least expensive, but they charge slowly, adding only about 4 to 7 miles of driving range per charging hour. That means that over a 12-hour period, you’ll only add 48 to 84 miles to whatever’s left in the battery.
That’s fine if you only plan to use your EV for short distances. But for a faster charge -- more miles, more quickly -- you’ll have to move up to Level 2 or 3.
Level 2 units call for a standard 240-volt outlet, such as the ones used for clothes dryers or electric ranges. But they require a specialized installation, perhaps a new electrical box, and maybe even a permit from your local building department.
With these chargers, you’ll add 20 to 60 miles per charging hour, depending on the unit. So a 12-hour charge will give you 240 to 720 miles' worth of power -- certainly enough for a few days of commuting.
Level 3 units call for 480 volts. They deliver charges directly into your EV from an external charging station, either inside your garage or outside on an external wall. Instead of relying on the vehicle’s own CCU converter, these units convert AC to DC electricity outside the vehicle.
Level 3 charging stations are very expensive, often requiring additional electrical service panels. As a result, they are not feasible for single-family houses. They are cost-effective only for multifamily and commercial properties.
The cost of Level 1 and Level 2 chargers vary by manufacturer. HomeFlex, a popular unit from ChargePoint, is compatible with all EVs, even Teslas. A hardwired outdoor HomeFlex unit is listed at $549 on Amazon, not counting installation.
To ease the cost, there are plenty of federal, state and local incentives -- including, in some cases, manufacturer rebates. Uncle Sam will chip in 30% of the cost, up to $1,000, in the form of a tax credit. And that’s on top of the up-to-$7,500 credit you can claim if you purchase certain EVs.
At the state and local levels, benefits vary. Westerville, Ohio will give qualified residents a rebate of $300 for signing up for an off-peak-hours EV charging program. And in Maryland, residential rebates cover 50% of the cost, up to $700 per house, to buy and install an EV charger.
Some local utilities also offer incentives. In Florida, for example, Duke Energy offers a $7.50 monthly credit to residential customers who have Level 2 units and charge their vehicles during off-peak hours. And the Jacksonville Electric Authority will give customers who charge during specific hours a $7 credit, plus a 15% rebate, up to $300, to cover home electrical upgrades needed to install a Level 2 charger.
Obviously, you’ll also save money on fuel by purchasing an EV -- up to $1,000 a year, according to some estimates. But if you charge at home, your monthly electricity costs will go up by an average of roughly $60. Schedule your charges when electric rates are the lowest to minimize these costs.