How to Prepare Your Home for an Electric Vehicle

Looking for a new Volkswagen vehicle in the Oxnard area? There’s plenty of work that goes into the car purchasing process, but few people think about how to prepare their home for an electric vehicle. Don’t be mistaken – EVs come with a variety of benefits, such as lower maintenance costs and a significant reduction in your carbon emissions. However, installing an electric vehicle home charger does take considerable time and planning beforehand. Even though there are electric vehicle charging stations in the Santa Barbara-area, home charging will most likely be your primary method. Find out how to prepare your home for an electric vehicle in five easy steps with the experts at Ventura Volkswagen below! Then, reserve your very own Volkswagen electric vehicle, such as the cutting-edge ID.4 today!

1. Determine a Charging Type (AKA Charging Level)

Unsure what type of EV charger is best for your make, model, and driving habits? Typically, most electric vehicle home chargers fall into the category of Level 1 or Level 2:

• Level 1 EV Charging: Often takes days to fully charge an electric car.
• Level 2 EV Charging: Often takes several hours to fully charge an electric car. You can often get between 60-200 miles of range in just 20-30 minutes with Level 2 DC charging, though. For this reason, most people intermix daytime “top-off” charging with overnight charging.

2. Prepare Your Garage

Still have junk and unmarked trash filling up your garage? You’ll want to clear out some space for your EV before you have it delivered to your Camarillo home.

3. Locate Your Power Panel & Assess Consumption

Next, you’ll want to find your home’s power panel, which distributes electricity throughout your whole building. Many new Thousand Oaks-area homes have a power panel rated at a maximum current flow of 100 Amperes. Your power panel should have an amperage rating printed on the main circuit breaker for you to consult. Calculate how much electrical energy you use on a daily basis before installing your electric vehicle home charger system. Too much energy consumption puts you at risk of overloading your electric panel.

4. Employ an Electrician

After you’ve measured your electrical energy consumption, you’ll need to hire an electrician. You’ll want a professional to install a 240-volt plug or a hardwired circuit back to the power panel to protect you from overloads. Keep in mind that this service usually costs anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 depending on your power panel.

5. Purchase and Install Your Electric Vehicle Home Charger

Now that you understand the distinction between Level 1 and Level 2 Charging types, have properly cleaned out your garage, and have assessed your daily energy usage, you’re ready to purchase your EV charger. Simply schedule a time for your electrician to install the charger.

Find Out More About EVs with Ventura Volkswagen!

If you have any further questions about electric vehicles, electric vehicle charging batteries, or how to prepare your home for an EV, don’t hesitate to reach out to us online! We’re more than happy to provide you with the financing information you need to help you make an informed purchasing decision. We look forward to getting you behind the wheel of a new Volkswagen EV soon!