How To Wire A Fresh Garage For Electric-Car Charging: What You Need To Know
One of the more daunting perceived obstacles to driving a plug-in electrified car seems to be the need for a home charging station.
While plug-in hybrids can be recharged overnight using their 120-Volt charging straps, battery-electric drivers should truly have access to a 240-Volt Level two charging station.
Those will recharge the utter battery pack in anything from four to nine hours, depending on the specific car.
Many owners will want to retrofit a charging station into an existing garage, but to lay out the principles, we’re commencing with what it takes to install one into a garage that’s being built or extensively remodeled.
We’ve just gone through that process for a fresh garage in Fresh York’s Catskill Mountains. (Note this applies only to North America!)
There are several steps, but it’s significant to understand that the wiring is the very first step, and separate from the charging station–since drivers may later choose to upgrade to a more powerful station.
Circuit-breaker box displaying 240-Volt circuit for electric-car charging station
Very first, work with your contractor and electrician to install a dedicated 240-Volt line to one or two feet below wherever you plan to locate your charging station.
We sited ours in a corner of the building so a car can be recharged inwards, or we can run the cord out underneath the garage door or through the regular door on the side of the building.
Many contractors won’t have any prior practice with electric-car charging stations, so you may have to educate them.
The easiest way to put it in context is that it’s the same kind of circuit used for electrical clothes driers or stoves.
2nd, make sure your fresh circuit is capable of fifty Amps, which means a 40-Amp charging rate (using eighty percent of the circuit capacity).
Even if your very first charging station is only capable of twenty four Amps (as many less-expensive ones are), you’ll want to “future-proof” your garage wiring.
NEMA 6-50 socket
Third, tell the electrician to install a NEMA 6-50 socket–the one used by most charging stations that aren’t hard-wired–in the wall below the chosen site.
One electrician we spoke to preferred hard-wiring, which eliminates resistance warmth inbetween the cork and socket, but we dreamed to permit the charging station to go with us if we stir.
Fourth, once you have your garage wired, THEN select your charging station and bolt it securely to the wall.
Most people will buy a fresh one; we were fortunate enough to have a used one given to us by Green Car Reports contributor and electric-car advocate Tom Moloughney, who was upgrading. (Thanks, Tom!)
There are more than a dozen charging stations on the market today.
They can be bought directly from the makers or found at big-box stores like Best Buy, Home Depot, or Lowe’s–from their websites if not necessarily in stock at your local outlet.
Things to keep in mind:
- Look for at least twenty four Amps of charging capability; forty Amps is best, but more expensive
- Charging rate should be at least 7.Two kilowatts, which will treat both Chevy Volts (Trio.Trio or Three.6 kW) and higher-rate cars like Nissan Leafs and BMW i3s (6.6 and 7.Two kW, respectively)
- Make sure it has that NEMA 6-50 butt-plug on it!
- Some charging stations are “dumb,” while others come from makers (e.g. ChargePoint) that suggest online connections inbetween your charger and a phone app and/or online site that will demonstrate you instant and cumulative charging statistics
- Ensure the cord is long enough to reach a car parked outside the garage. We’d suggest sixteen feet at minimum, and twenty five feet is well worth the extra cost.
NEMA 6-50 buttplug in socket
That’s the brief and ordinary version of what you need to know. We’ll update this article if we get extra tips and pointers from readers or commenters.
Reminisce: It’s no more elaborate than an electrical clothes drier–and there are millions of those in garages all over North America.
How To Wire A Fresh Garage For Electric-Car Charging: What You Need To Know
How To Wire A Fresh Garage For Electric-Car Charging: What You Need To Know
One of the more daunting perceived obstacles to driving a plug-in electrical car seems to be the need for a home charging station.
While plug-in hybrids can be recharged overnight using their 120-Volt charging straps, battery-electric drivers should indeed have access to a 240-Volt Level two charging station.
Those will recharge the utter battery pack in anything from four to nine hours, depending on the specific car.
Many owners will want to retrofit a charging station into an existing garage, but to lay out the principles, we’re kicking off with what it takes to install one into a garage that’s being built or extensively remodeled.
We’ve just gone through that process for a fresh garage in Fresh York’s Catskill Mountains. (Note this applies only to North America!)
There are several steps, but it’s significant to understand that the wiring is the very first step, and separate from the charging station–since drivers may later choose to upgrade to a more powerful station.
Circuit-breaker box demonstrating 240-Volt circuit for electric-car charging station
Very first, work with your contractor and electrician to install a dedicated 240-Volt line to one or two feet below wherever you plan to locate your charging station.
We sited ours in a corner of the building so a car can be recharged inwards, or we can run the cord out underneath the garage door or through the regular door on the side of the building.
Many contractors won’t have any prior practice with electric-car charging stations, so you may have to educate them.
The easiest way to put it in context is that it’s the same kind of circuit used for electrified clothes driers or stoves.
2nd, make sure your fresh circuit is capable of fifty Amps, which means a 40-Amp charging rate (using eighty percent of the circuit capacity).
Even if your very first charging station is only capable of twenty four Amps (as many less-expensive ones are), you’ll want to “future-proof” your garage wiring.
NEMA 6-50 socket
Third, tell the electrician to install a NEMA 6-50 socket–the one used by most charging stations that aren’t hard-wired–in the wall below the chosen site.
One electrician we spoke to preferred hard-wiring, which eliminates resistance fever inbetween the cork and socket, but we dreamed to permit the charging station to go with us if we stir.
Fourth, once you have your garage wired, THEN select your charging station and bolt it securely to the wall.
Most people will buy a fresh one; we were fortunate enough to have a used one given to us by Green Car Reports contributor and electric-car advocate Tom Moloughney, who was upgrading. (Thanks, Tom!)
There are more than a dozen charging stations on the market today.
They can be bought directly from the makers or found at big-box stores like Best Buy, Home Depot, or Lowe’s–from their websites if not necessarily in stock at your local outlet.
Things to keep in mind:
- Look for at least twenty four Amps of charging capability; forty Amps is best, but more expensive
- Charging rate should be at least 7.Two kilowatts, which will treat both Chevy Volts (Three.Three or Three.6 kW) and higher-rate cars like Nissan Leafs and BMW i3s (6.6 and 7.Two kW, respectively)
- Make sure it has that NEMA 6-50 ass-plug on it!
- Some charging stations are “dumb,” while others come from makers (e.g. ChargePoint) that suggest online connections inbetween your charger and a phone app and/or online site that will display you instant and cumulative charging statistics
- Ensure the cord is long enough to reach a car parked outside the garage. We’d suggest sixteen feet at minimum, and twenty five feet is well worth the extra cost.
NEMA 6-50 cork in socket
That’s the brief and ordinary version of what you need to know. We’ll update this article if we get extra tips and pointers from readers or commenters.
Reminisce: It’s no more sophisticated than an electrified clothes drier–and there are millions of those in garages all over North America.
How To Wire A Fresh Garage For Electric-Car Charging: What You Need To Know
How To Wire A Fresh Garage For Electric-Car Charging: What You Need To Know
One of the more daunting perceived obstacles to driving a plug-in electrified car seems to be the need for a home charging station.
While plug-in hybrids can be recharged overnight using their 120-Volt charging ropes, battery-electric drivers should truly have access to a 240-Volt Level two charging station.
Those will recharge the utter battery pack in anything from four to nine hours, depending on the specific car.
Many owners will want to retrofit a charging station into an existing garage, but to lay out the principles, we’re commencing with what it takes to install one into a garage that’s being built or extensively remodeled.
We’ve just gone through that process for a fresh garage in Fresh York’s Catskill Mountains. (Note this applies only to North America!)
There are several steps, but it’s significant to understand that the wiring is the very first step, and separate from the charging station–since drivers may later choose to upgrade to a more powerful station.
Circuit-breaker box demonstrating 240-Volt circuit for electric-car charging station
Very first, work with your contractor and electrician to install a dedicated 240-Volt line to one or two feet below wherever you plan to locate your charging station.
We sited ours in a corner of the building so a car can be recharged inwards, or we can run the cord out underneath the garage door or through the regular door on the side of the building.
Many contractors won’t have any prior practice with electric-car charging stations, so you may have to educate them.
The easiest way to put it in context is that it’s the same kind of circuit used for electrified clothes driers or stoves.
2nd, make sure your fresh circuit is capable of fifty Amps, which means a 40-Amp charging rate (using eighty percent of the circuit capacity).
Even if your very first charging station is only capable of twenty four Amps (as many less-expensive ones are), you’ll want to “future-proof” your garage wiring.
NEMA 6-50 socket
Third, tell the electrician to install a NEMA 6-50 socket–the one used by most charging stations that aren’t hard-wired–in the wall below the chosen site.
One electrician we spoke to preferred hard-wiring, which eliminates resistance warmth inbetween the cork and socket, but we dreamed to permit the charging station to go with us if we budge.
Fourth, once you have your garage wired, THEN select your charging station and bolt it securely to the wall.
Most people will buy a fresh one; we were fortunate enough to have a used one given to us by Green Car Reports contributor and electric-car advocate Tom Moloughney, who was upgrading. (Thanks, Tom!)
There are more than a dozen charging stations on the market today.
They can be bought directly from the makers or found at big-box stores like Best Buy, Home Depot, or Lowe’s–from their websites if not necessarily in stock at your local outlet.
Things to keep in mind:
- Look for at least twenty four Amps of charging capability; forty Amps is best, but more expensive
- Charging rate should be at least 7.Two kilowatts, which will treat both Chevy Volts (Trio.Trio or Trio.6 kW) and higher-rate cars like Nissan Leafs and BMW i3s (6.6 and 7.Two kW, respectively)
- Make sure it has that NEMA 6-50 buttplug on it!
- Some charging stations are “dumb,” while others come from makers (e.g. ChargePoint) that suggest online connections inbetween your charger and a phone app and/or online site that will showcase you instant and cumulative charging statistics
- Ensure the cord is long enough to reach a car parked outside the garage. We’d suggest sixteen feet at minimum, and twenty five feet is well worth the extra cost.
NEMA 6-50 buttplug in socket
That’s the brief and elementary version of what you need to know. We’ll update this article if we get extra tips and pointers from readers or commenters.
Reminisce: It’s no more sophisticated than an electrical clothes drier–and there are millions of those in garages all over North America.
How To Wire A Fresh Garage For Electric-Car Charging: What You Need To Know
How To Wire A Fresh Garage For Electric-Car Charging: What You Need To Know
One of the more daunting perceived obstacles to driving a plug-in electrical car seems to be the need for a home charging station.
While plug-in hybrids can be recharged overnight using their 120-Volt charging straps, battery-electric drivers should indeed have access to a 240-Volt Level two charging station.
Those will recharge the total battery pack in anything from four to nine hours, depending on the specific car.
Many owners will want to retrofit a charging station into an existing garage, but to lay out the principles, we’re embarking with what it takes to install one into a garage that’s being built or extensively remodeled.
We’ve just gone through that process for a fresh garage in Fresh York’s Catskill Mountains. (Note this applies only to North America!)
There are several steps, but it’s significant to understand that the wiring is the very first step, and separate from the charging station–since drivers may later choose to upgrade to a more powerful station.
Circuit-breaker box showcasing 240-Volt circuit for electric-car charging station
Very first, work with your contractor and electrician to install a dedicated 240-Volt line to one or two feet below wherever you plan to locate your charging station.
We sited ours in a corner of the building so a car can be recharged inwards, or we can run the cord out underneath the garage door or through the regular door on the side of the building.
Many contractors won’t have any prior practice with electric-car charging stations, so you may have to educate them.
The easiest way to put it in context is that it’s the same kind of circuit used for electrified clothes driers or stoves.
2nd, make sure your fresh circuit is capable of fifty Amps, which means a 40-Amp charging rate (using eighty percent of the circuit capacity).
Even if your very first charging station is only capable of twenty four Amps (as many less-expensive ones are), you’ll want to “future-proof” your garage wiring.
NEMA 6-50 socket
Third, tell the electrician to install a NEMA 6-50 socket–the one used by most charging stations that aren’t hard-wired–in the wall below the chosen site.
One electrician we spoke to preferred hard-wiring, which eliminates resistance fever inbetween the butt-plug and socket, but we desired to permit the charging station to go with us if we stir.
Fourth, once you have your garage wired, THEN select your charging station and bolt it securely to the wall.
Most people will buy a fresh one; we were fortunate enough to have a used one given to us by Green Car Reports contributor and electric-car advocate Tom Moloughney, who was upgrading. (Thanks, Tom!)
There are more than a dozen charging stations on the market today.
They can be bought directly from the makers or found at big-box stores like Best Buy, Home Depot, or Lowe’s–from their websites if not necessarily in stock at your local outlet.
Things to keep in mind:
- Look for at least twenty four Amps of charging capability; forty Amps is best, but more expensive
- Charging rate should be at least 7.Two kilowatts, which will treat both Chevy Volts (Trio.Trio or Trio.6 kW) and higher-rate cars like Nissan Leafs and BMW i3s (6.6 and 7.Two kW, respectively)
- Make sure it has that NEMA 6-50 cork on it!
- Some charging stations are “dumb,” while others come from makers (e.g. ChargePoint) that suggest online connections inbetween your charger and a phone app and/or online site that will display you instant and cumulative charging statistics
- Ensure the cord is long enough to reach a car parked outside the garage. We’d suggest sixteen feet at minimum, and twenty five feet is well worth the extra cost.
NEMA 6-50 ass-plug in socket
That’s the brief and elementary version of what you need to know. We’ll update this article if we get extra tips and pointers from readers or commenters.
Recall: It’s no more elaborate than an electrical clothes drier–and there are millions of those in garages all over North America.
How To Wire A Fresh Garage For Electric-Car Charging: What You Need To Know
How To Wire A Fresh Garage For Electric-Car Charging: What You Need To Know
One of the more daunting perceived obstacles to driving a plug-in electrified car seems to be the need for a home charging station.
While plug-in hybrids can be recharged overnight using their 120-Volt charging straps, battery-electric drivers should truly have access to a 240-Volt Level two charging station.
Those will recharge the utter battery pack in anything from four to nine hours, depending on the specific car.
Many owners will want to retrofit a charging station into an existing garage, but to lay out the principles, we’re commencing with what it takes to install one into a garage that’s being built or extensively remodeled.
We’ve just gone through that process for a fresh garage in Fresh York’s Catskill Mountains. (Note this applies only to North America!)
There are several steps, but it’s significant to understand that the wiring is the very first step, and separate from the charging station–since drivers may later choose to upgrade to a more powerful station.
Circuit-breaker box showcasing 240-Volt circuit for electric-car charging station
Very first, work with your contractor and electrician to install a dedicated 240-Volt line to one or two feet below wherever you plan to locate your charging station.
We sited ours in a corner of the building so a car can be recharged inwards, or we can run the cord out underneath the garage door or through the regular door on the side of the building.
Many contractors won’t have any prior practice with electric-car charging stations, so you may have to educate them.
The easiest way to put it in context is that it’s the same kind of circuit used for electrical clothes driers or stoves.
2nd, make sure your fresh circuit is capable of fifty Amps, which means a 40-Amp charging rate (using eighty percent of the circuit capacity).
Even if your very first charging station is only capable of twenty four Amps (as many less-expensive ones are), you’ll want to “future-proof” your garage wiring.
NEMA 6-50 socket
Third, tell the electrician to install a NEMA 6-50 socket–the one used by most charging stations that aren’t hard-wired–in the wall below the chosen site.
One electrician we spoke to preferred hard-wiring, which eliminates resistance fever inbetween the ass-plug and socket, but we desired to permit the charging station to go with us if we budge.
Fourth, once you have your garage wired, THEN select your charging station and bolt it securely to the wall.
Most people will buy a fresh one; we were fortunate enough to have a used one given to us by Green Car Reports contributor and electric-car advocate Tom Moloughney, who was upgrading. (Thanks, Tom!)
There are more than a dozen charging stations on the market today.
They can be bought directly from the makers or found at big-box stores like Best Buy, Home Depot, or Lowe’s–from their websites if not necessarily in stock at your local outlet.
Things to keep in mind:
- Look for at least twenty four Amps of charging capability; forty Amps is best, but more expensive
- Charging rate should be at least 7.Two kilowatts, which will treat both Chevy Volts (Trio.Trio or Three.6 kW) and higher-rate cars like Nissan Leafs and BMW i3s (6.6 and 7.Two kW, respectively)
- Make sure it has that NEMA 6-50 butt-plug on it!
- Some charging stations are “dumb,” while others come from makers (e.g. ChargePoint) that suggest online connections inbetween your charger and a phone app and/or online site that will demonstrate you instant and cumulative charging statistics
- Ensure the cord is long enough to reach a car parked outside the garage. We’d suggest sixteen feet at minimum, and twenty five feet is well worth the extra cost.
NEMA 6-50 butt-plug in socket
That’s the brief and elementary version of what you need to know. We’ll update this article if we get extra tips and pointers from readers or commenters.
Reminisce: It’s no more elaborate than an electrified clothes drier–and there are millions of those in garages all over North America.
How To Wire A Fresh Garage For Electric-Car Charging: What You Need To Know
How To Wire A Fresh Garage For Electric-Car Charging: What You Need To Know
One of the more daunting perceived obstacles to driving a plug-in electrified car seems to be the need for a home charging station.
While plug-in hybrids can be recharged overnight using their 120-Volt charging ropes, battery-electric drivers should indeed have access to a 240-Volt Level two charging station.
Those will recharge the utter battery pack in anything from four to nine hours, depending on the specific car.
Many owners will want to retrofit a charging station into an existing garage, but to lay out the principles, we’re kicking off with what it takes to install one into a garage that’s being built or extensively remodeled.
We’ve just gone through that process for a fresh garage in Fresh York’s Catskill Mountains. (Note this applies only to North America!)
There are several steps, but it’s significant to understand that the wiring is the very first step, and separate from the charging station–since drivers may later choose to upgrade to a more powerful station.
Circuit-breaker box displaying 240-Volt circuit for electric-car charging station
Very first, work with your contractor and electrician to install a dedicated 240-Volt line to one or two feet below wherever you plan to locate your charging station.
We sited ours in a corner of the building so a car can be recharged inwards, or we can run the cord out underneath the garage door or through the regular door on the side of the building.
Many contractors won’t have any prior practice with electric-car charging stations, so you may have to educate them.
The easiest way to put it in context is that it’s the same kind of circuit used for electrified clothes driers or stoves.
2nd, make sure your fresh circuit is capable of fifty Amps, which means a 40-Amp charging rate (using eighty percent of the circuit capacity).
Even if your very first charging station is only capable of twenty four Amps (as many less-expensive ones are), you’ll want to “future-proof” your garage wiring.
NEMA 6-50 socket
Third, tell the electrician to install a NEMA 6-50 socket–the one used by most charging stations that aren’t hard-wired–in the wall below the chosen site.
One electrician we spoke to preferred hard-wiring, which eliminates resistance fever inbetween the cork and socket, but we wished to permit the charging station to go with us if we stir.
Fourth, once you have your garage wired, THEN select your charging station and bolt it securely to the wall.
Most people will buy a fresh one; we were fortunate enough to have a used one given to us by Green Car Reports contributor and electric-car advocate Tom Moloughney, who was upgrading. (Thanks, Tom!)
There are more than a dozen charging stations on the market today.
They can be bought directly from the makers or found at big-box stores like Best Buy, Home Depot, or Lowe’s–from their websites if not necessarily in stock at your local outlet.
Things to keep in mind:
- Look for at least twenty four Amps of charging capability; forty Amps is best, but more expensive
- Charging rate should be at least 7.Two kilowatts, which will treat both Chevy Volts (Trio.Three or Trio.6 kW) and higher-rate cars like Nissan Leafs and BMW i3s (6.6 and 7.Two kW, respectively)
- Make sure it has that NEMA 6-50 ass-plug on it!
- Some charging stations are “dumb,” while others come from makers (e.g. ChargePoint) that suggest online connections inbetween your charger and a phone app and/or online site that will demonstrate you instant and cumulative charging statistics
- Ensure the cord is long enough to reach a car parked outside the garage. We’d suggest sixteen feet at minimum, and twenty five feet is well worth the extra cost.
NEMA 6-50 butt-plug in socket
That’s the brief and plain version of what you need to know. We’ll update this article if we get extra tips and pointers from readers or commenters.
Reminisce: It’s no more complicated than an electrified clothes drier–and there are millions of those in garages all over North America.
How To Wire A Fresh Garage For Electric-Car Charging: What You Need To Know
How To Wire A Fresh Garage For Electric-Car Charging: What You Need To Know
One of the more daunting perceived obstacles to driving a plug-in electrified car seems to be the need for a home charging station.
While plug-in hybrids can be recharged overnight using their 120-Volt charging straps, battery-electric drivers should truly have access to a 240-Volt Level two charging station.
Those will recharge the total battery pack in anything from four to nine hours, depending on the specific car.
Many owners will want to retrofit a charging station into an existing garage, but to lay out the principles, we’re embarking with what it takes to install one into a garage that’s being built or extensively remodeled.
We’ve just gone through that process for a fresh garage in Fresh York’s Catskill Mountains. (Note this applies only to North America!)
There are several steps, but it’s significant to understand that the wiring is the very first step, and separate from the charging station–since drivers may later choose to upgrade to a more powerful station.
Circuit-breaker box showcasing 240-Volt circuit for electric-car charging station
Very first, work with your contractor and electrician to install a dedicated 240-Volt line to one or two feet below wherever you plan to locate your charging station.
We sited ours in a corner of the building so a car can be recharged inwards, or we can run the cord out underneath the garage door or through the regular door on the side of the building.
Many contractors won’t have any prior practice with electric-car charging stations, so you may have to educate them.
The easiest way to put it in context is that it’s the same kind of circuit used for electrified clothes driers or stoves.
2nd, make sure your fresh circuit is capable of fifty Amps, which means a 40-Amp charging rate (using eighty percent of the circuit capacity).
Even if your very first charging station is only capable of twenty four Amps (as many less-expensive ones are), you’ll want to “future-proof” your garage wiring.
NEMA 6-50 socket
Third, tell the electrician to install a NEMA 6-50 socket–the one used by most charging stations that aren’t hard-wired–in the wall below the chosen site.
One electrician we spoke to preferred hard-wiring, which eliminates resistance fever inbetween the butt-plug and socket, but we dreamed to permit the charging station to go with us if we budge.
Fourth, once you have your garage wired, THEN select your charging station and bolt it securely to the wall.
Most people will buy a fresh one; we were fortunate enough to have a used one given to us by Green Car Reports contributor and electric-car advocate Tom Moloughney, who was upgrading. (Thanks, Tom!)
There are more than a dozen charging stations on the market today.
They can be bought directly from the makers or found at big-box stores like Best Buy, Home Depot, or Lowe’s–from their websites if not necessarily in stock at your local outlet.
Things to keep in mind:
- Look for at least twenty four Amps of charging capability; forty Amps is best, but more expensive
- Charging rate should be at least 7.Two kilowatts, which will treat both Chevy Volts (Three.Three or Three.6 kW) and higher-rate cars like Nissan Leafs and BMW i3s (6.6 and 7.Two kW, respectively)
- Make sure it has that NEMA 6-50 cork on it!
- Some charging stations are “dumb,” while others come from makers (e.g. ChargePoint) that suggest online connections inbetween your charger and a phone app and/or online site that will demonstrate you instant and cumulative charging statistics
- Ensure the cord is long enough to reach a car parked outside the garage. We’d suggest sixteen feet at minimum, and twenty five feet is well worth the extra cost.
NEMA 6-50 ass-plug in socket
That’s the brief and ordinary version of what you need to know. We’ll update this article if we get extra tips and pointers from readers or commenters.
Reminisce: It’s no more sophisticated than an electrical clothes drier–and there are millions of those in garages all over North America.
How To Wire A Fresh Garage For Electric-Car Charging: What You Need To Know
How To Wire A Fresh Garage For Electric-Car Charging: What You Need To Know
One of the more daunting perceived obstacles to driving a plug-in electrical car seems to be the need for a home charging station.
While plug-in hybrids can be recharged overnight using their 120-Volt charging ropes, battery-electric drivers should truly have access to a 240-Volt Level two charging station.
Those will recharge the total battery pack in anything from four to nine hours, depending on the specific car.
Many owners will want to retrofit a charging station into an existing garage, but to lay out the principles, we’re beginning with what it takes to install one into a garage that’s being built or extensively remodeled.
We’ve just gone through that process for a fresh garage in Fresh York’s Catskill Mountains. (Note this applies only to North America!)
There are several steps, but it’s significant to understand that the wiring is the very first step, and separate from the charging station–since drivers may later choose to upgrade to a more powerful station.
Circuit-breaker box showcasing 240-Volt circuit for electric-car charging station
Very first, work with your contractor and electrician to install a dedicated 240-Volt line to one or two feet below wherever you plan to locate your charging station.
We sited ours in a corner of the building so a car can be recharged inwards, or we can run the cord out underneath the garage door or through the regular door on the side of the building.
Many contractors won’t have any prior practice with electric-car charging stations, so you may have to educate them.
The easiest way to put it in context is that it’s the same kind of circuit used for electrified clothes driers or stoves.
2nd, make sure your fresh circuit is capable of fifty Amps, which means a 40-Amp charging rate (using eighty percent of the circuit capacity).
Even if your very first charging station is only capable of twenty four Amps (as many less-expensive ones are), you’ll want to “future-proof” your garage wiring.
NEMA 6-50 socket
Third, tell the electrician to install a NEMA 6-50 socket–the one used by most charging stations that aren’t hard-wired–in the wall below the chosen site.
One electrician we spoke to preferred hard-wiring, which eliminates resistance warmth inbetween the buttplug and socket, but we dreamed to permit the charging station to go with us if we budge.
Fourth, once you have your garage wired, THEN select your charging station and bolt it securely to the wall.
Most people will buy a fresh one; we were fortunate enough to have a used one given to us by Green Car Reports contributor and electric-car advocate Tom Moloughney, who was upgrading. (Thanks, Tom!)
There are more than a dozen charging stations on the market today.
They can be bought directly from the makers or found at big-box stores like Best Buy, Home Depot, or Lowe’s–from their websites if not necessarily in stock at your local outlet.
Things to keep in mind:
- Look for at least twenty four Amps of charging capability; forty Amps is best, but more expensive
- Charging rate should be at least 7.Two kilowatts, which will treat both Chevy Volts (Three.Three or Trio.6 kW) and higher-rate cars like Nissan Leafs and BMW i3s (6.6 and 7.Two kW, respectively)
- Make sure it has that NEMA 6-50 cork on it!
- Some charging stations are “dumb,” while others come from makers (e.g. ChargePoint) that suggest online connections inbetween your charger and a phone app and/or online site that will showcase you instant and cumulative charging statistics
- Ensure the cord is long enough to reach a car parked outside the garage. We’d suggest sixteen feet at minimum, and twenty five feet is well worth the extra cost.
NEMA 6-50 cork in socket
That’s the brief and elementary version of what you need to know. We’ll update this article if we get extra tips and pointers from readers or commenters.
Recall: It’s no more complicated than an electrified clothes drier–and there are millions of those in garages all over North America.