Smart Home and EV Charging
January 29, 2024
Despite the recent freezing temperatures that turned Chicagoland EV charging stations into ‘Tesla Graveyards’ and Hertz car rental company announcing that it’s selling 20,000 EVs, a record 1.2 million U.S. vehicle buyers chose to go electric last year (per Kelley Blue Book). More specifically, 1,189,051 new electric vehicles were put into service as the slow shift to an electrified future continued. In 2023, the EV share of the total U.S. vehicle market was 7.6%, up from 5.9% in 2022. Electric vehicle sales are expected to hit a record 9% of all passenger vehicles in the U.S. this year.
But owning an EV is different than a traditionally fueled vehicle. New EV owners typically have a lot of questions when it comes to charging. If you just bought one, you’re likely wondering how you can charge it at home, how much it’ll cost, the installation process, and more.
Though there’s a lot to unpack there, bottom line, you can charge your EV at home. However, you’ll need to consider charging speeds, what EV charger to install and if your house is even capable from an electrical wiring perspective. Here’s what you need to consider.
When it comes to charging an electric vehicle at home, it really boils down to how you want or need to do it. You don’t necessarily need to buy a dedicated EV charger for your house, but you’ll probably want to for faster charging capabilities.
So, what does it mean, ‘faster charging?’ Almost all electric vehicles come equipped with a basic Level 1 charging cable. This type of charger plugs directly into any standard 120V AC wall outlet around your home or in your garage. This makes ownership incredibly easy and affordable, but it’s really slow. You’ll generally only get around 3–5 miles of range per hour of charging with a Level 1. This means that even after charging overnight for 8 hours, you’ll only get roughly 40 miles of range.
So, if you’re a regular morning commuter you’re either going to have to live close to work or recharge your EV while you’re at work. In this scenario a Level 1 charger will work and save you some money. Obviously, that’s not nearly enough range for some people who have more than a 20–30 mile commute to work or drive frequently. And sure, you can use public chargers that are becoming a lot more common, but that’s not ideal either. So, while it’s doable, you’ll probably want to upgrade to a faster charging system at home.
My Mom bought a Tesla a few years ago and loves it. But she and my Dad live in a fairly rural part of Texas so you can imagine finding charging stations could be challenging. So she opted for a faster charging system at home so the batteries are always topped off in the morning to run errands, go to the gym, whatever.
Just like my Mom, as Level 1 charging isn’t very fast, effective, or efficient, many EV owners upgrade to a Level 2 home charger. If you drive a lot, have long commutes, or don’t want to deal with range anxiety, upgrades at home are most likely required. Beside Level 1, there are two other types, or ‘levels,’ of EV charging available: type 2 and type 3.
For more details on the different types of chargers and specific brands, check out my earlier post, ‘The Hidden Smart Home Costs of EV Ownership.’
When most owners talk about charging at home, they’re likely using faster L2 charging systems. L2 system use a bigger 240V outlet and can deliver anywhere from 20 to 60 miles of range per hour. This is how my Mom solved her charging concerns — hiring an electrician to install a 240V circuit in her garage. This is part of our home build plan as well. But Debbie and I will include multiple 240V circuits in our garage. Our original plan was to install 240V circuits between the garage doors and on the back wall of the garage as EVs have different locations for charging ports — some in the more traditional rear location like gas/diesel powered vehicles but some on the front quarter panel as well. Another newer option is ceiling mounted chargers that include cable retractor systems. Regardless of solution, including blocking in the framing plan to secure the chargers to is a good idea.
The charger speed benefits are indisputable as most electric cars in the U.S. can achieve a full charge in 6 to 8 hours on a level 2 charger. Some are faster, some a little slower, depending on the car model and charger type.
So, how do you know if your home is capable of using an L2 charger, and how much will one cost? If you have a bigger 240V wall outlet for a clothes dryer, you may have the necessary electrical infrastructure for an L2 charger. Unfortunately, installing 240V outlets in garages is not a common practice yet but that’s starting to change in new home builds — especially those with attached garages have better chances than those that are detached. That’s why my Mom had to bring in an electrician to install hers.
Using a standard Level 1 charger shouldn’t cost most owners anything. Simply use the included cable and any regular wall outlet. Where things start to get pricey is once you opt for faster L2 charging speeds.
Adding a fast Level 2 electric vehicle charger to your home can cost anywhere from $300 to nearly $3,000 or more. This will vary based on your home, installation requirements and difficulty, not to mention the type of charger you buy. On average, most homeowners can upgrade to faster EV charging for around $1,200.
If you already have the necessary wiring, electric panel, and systems for a larger 240V AC wall plug, a professional can easily and quickly install a faster L2 charger in your garage. That said, if additional wiring is required, costs obviously will go up. You may end up buying more expensive chargers with a longer cable to reach your vehicle, labor costs, renovating aspects of the garage, and more.
Keep in mind that some states or cities offer incentives that may help offset these costs, but that’ll depend on other factors you’ll need to investigate yourself or talk over with a sales and installation representative. Finally, you can technically go ‘all in’ and install a Level 3 DC fast charging system, but the pricing can be significant — $15,000 to over $30,000.
Unfortunately, there will be some EV owners who won’t be able to install a charger in their homes. If you’re restricted to street parking, use a detached garage that doesn’t have power or have an older and electrically outdated house. Though it’s not impossible in these examples, the cost of owning an EV and remediating these issues will be significantly higher.
Having to update or replace an entire electrical system or run high-voltage lines to another area of your property doesn’t come cheap. Having an electrical panel that isn’t in an easily reachable location could also compound issues. And not all homes can distribute another 240V line of output power or have extra breakers to install a charger. If so, you’ll likely need to replace the entire panel, which is another expensive cost.
If the costs of a charger and making upgrades to your home are just too much but you still want that EV, there are other options for charging. Here’s where some real smart home comes in. Enter Amazon and Alexa. Amazon wants to help electric vehicle owners put range anxiety in the rear view. Starting later this year, Alexa will be able to guide you to any EV charging station in the U.S. All you have to do is ask, ‘Alexa, find an EV charging station near me,’ and your virtual assistant will navigate to the closest one.
There are more than 150,000 public chargers across in the U.S. And now, Amazon has partnered with one of the nation’s largest fast-charging networks, EVgo, to help EV owners locate them — no matter where they are. Alexa will even be able to help you pay for your charge-up. Just say, ‘Alexa, pay for my charge,’ when you use an EVgo public charging station.
For more details on this you can read my post from last year, ‘Alexa, Where Can I Charge My EV?’
Obviously there are a multitude of options for getting your EV charged whether you do it at home or elsewhere. And you’re not necessarily stuck with whatever solution you choose first as you can always upgrade and new charging innovations will come along. There are already EV charging robots available now.
Hopefully considering any or all of these options has gotten you thinking more about your EV or one you may thinking about buying. And undoubtedly the integrations with smart home will expand over time. That may be the best part of smart home technology in general — so many options around so many solutions. It’s only limited by your imagination.
I’m curious how many of you already own an EV and how you’re charging it. Are you keeping it simple, like Level 1, or going for the faster charging of Level 2 or Level 3 and all the infrastructure required to support them? If you’re not an EV owner yet, are you considering it? and how do the charging requirements affect your decision? If you’re working on a house build project like Debbie and I, are you planning to install 240V outlets in your garage in the chance that you or a future owner will be an EV owner?
Let Debbie and I know what you think in the comments, DMs and emails as we really enjoy hearing from you. Thanks again to all those following Debbie and I through our home building journey. It’s great to hear your success stories and suggestions as we move through the process. And if you like the content I’m posting each week, don’t forget to ‘Like’ and ‘Follow.’
UPDATE January 31, 2024
Clean-energy advocates optimistic that updated tax credit will help boost EV adoption
The federal government has some good news for those looking to set up at-home charging for their EVs.
The Treasury Department recently released guidance clarifying eligibility for something called the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit, or 30C. The tax credit is designed to help offset the cost of installing equipment like EV chargers on both public and private property, for businesses and consumers alike.
The tax credit, extended and modified by the Inflation Reduction Act, is just one facet of the Biden administration’s ambitious push to boost EVs to half of all new-car sales by 2030 and install 500,000 public chargers by then.
The guidance is significant, clean-energy advocates said, because it makes the credit more widely available.
“The guidance was a huge positive step in the right direction in getting a lot more infrastructure in the ground,” Albert Gore III, executive director of the Zero Emission Transportation Association, told Tech Brew.
Gore said that the updated guidance expands access to the credit both geographically and makes it available on a per-item basis rather than per location.
“That’s going to dramatically increase the value of the credit,” he said. “What it means to the public is that there will be a lot more charging available as a result of this credit.” Later, he added that “it’s a really huge deal for transportation infrastructure.”
The program offers a credit of up to 30% of the cost of installing equipment like EV chargers. Businesses can claim up to $100,000, while credits for installation on personal property is capped at $1,000, per the Treasury.
The Natural Resources Defense Council, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group, estimates that the Treasury guidance will open up access to the credit to some 32 million people who might have been denied under the previous guidance that required the equipment to be installed in low-income and “non-urban” census tracts. The New York Times reported that “qualified areas cover roughly two-thirds of the US population.”
“It’s a good day to charge in America,” Max Baumhefner, an NRDC lawyer, wrote in a blog post.
For more details click HERE.
UPDATE February 1, 2024
Emporia Launches New Program to Simplify EV Charger Installation
Emporia, a provider of energy management solutions, has launched a new program aimed at helping customers with the installation of Level 2 EV chargers at home.
Vehicle owners are often supplied with Level 1 chargers from automobile manufacturers at the time of purchase to use at home with 120v standard outlets. A level 1 charger only adds three to four miles of range per hour of charging.
Upgrading to a Level 2 EV charger is a good and practical investment. A Level 2 charger is like having your own gas pump in your garage; it is a smart appliance that charges your vehicle up to 16 times faster than a Level 1 charger. An added convenience: not only is a Level 2 car charger ready when you need it to be, you can save on electricity by charging during lower rate times.
Many homes across the country were not built with the loads in mind for a Level 2 charger. To make sure a home’s limitations are assessed in advance of a vehicle purchase typically involves extensive research, contacting multiple companies, collecting bids, and ensuring the quality and trustworthiness of the selected installer. Emporia recognized the need to simplify this process and ensure a smooth installation experience.
“We believe that the installation experience is an essential part of the overall customer journey,” said Shawn McLaughlin, CEO, Emporia. “By partnering with the best installers in the industry, we aim to provide our customers with peace of mind, competitive pricing, and an excellent customer experience from start to finish.”
The six guiding principles of this new launch include ease and convenience of the installation process; fast installation times to minimize disruptions; transparent pricing and education on factors impacting costs; guarantee on the quality and consistency of workmanship; dedicated support team to assist customers throughout the process; and access to technology providing customers with the necessary information for installation.
As part of the new program, Emporia has partnered with trusted installers across the country who have been selected to provide customers with the highest quality workmanship, transparent pricing, and fast installation times. Emporia and its partners handle all aspects of the installation, including permitting and inspection, ensuring a seamless and worry-free experience for customers. They include HelloTech, OnTech, Kopperfield, and Treehouse.
For more information about Emporia’s installation program, click here. The company plans to expand coverage to additional markets soon, allowing more customers to benefit from this streamlined installation process.
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