Depending on the amount of driving you do, a 120 volt charger (included with every car) may meet your needs. You’ll get about 3 miles of driving per hour of charging, or about 30 miles overnight. This may be adequate for you and is an easy way to begin driving an all battery electric EV. 120 volt charger plugs into a 3 prong outlet, standard in your home or garage.
If you drive more, you’re ready for higher capacity charging. A 240 volt charger on your garage wall is quite efficient. You’ll get faster charging, about 20 – 25 miles of driving per hour of charging, or over 200 plus miles overnight. Similar to when you plug in your phone overnight, which gets fully charged, with a 240 volt charger, your EV will be fully charged in the morning. And, you won’t need to look for a public EV charger, as your home charger is an “EV fueling” station just for you, always available when you need it.
Chargers come in many brands and styles. I’ve had a ChargePoint charger on my home wall since 2011. It is super reliable and has always been ready to charge my car, requiring no maintenance.
I’ve owned this charger for years. I recommend it – it’s available at Amazon below.
ChargePoint Home Charger with Extra Long 25′ Cable
Wiring a 240 volt charger
You’ll need a 240 volt outlet to power your home charger. An electrician can install wiring from your main electrical box to the outlet where you’ll park. Price for this install ranges from $1200 to $1500. This wiring expense will pay for itself soon. Your car expenses are lower when you drive electric because you’ll have minimal maintenance, no smog check, and no tune-ups. Many EV drivers pay for the outlet install in about two years.
Get the ChargePoint Home unit with a 25 foot cable option, so you can reach further and charge your car if the main EV charging space is occupied.
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