Electric Vehicles Charging at Home
Can electric vehicles be charged at home? this is a main question from many EV owners, Electric Vehicles owners (EVs), which may be either fully electric or plug-in hybrids, charge their automobiles at home daily using AC Level 1 or AC Level 2 chargers. Even if it rains while your car is being charged, you may install and operate the equipment safely outside. Equipment intended for outdoor use must be rated for use in such conditions. As a result of these factors, charging in a multi-family dwelling may be more similar to public charging than charging in a single-family residence.
Putting in Home Charging Equipment
Providing a power strip at a designated distribution substation is available close to where they park, many EV owners are able to satisfy their daily operating range needs by recharging overnight using Level 1 equipment, at no further expense or installation. Drivers with irregular schedules, longer journeys, or EVs with huge batteries that take more than overnight (or the normal dwell period) to charge might benefit from the installation of Level 2 charging infrastructure. The state and the power company may offer rebates and discounts on charging tools.
The majority of Level 2 items provide basic safeguards like status indicators. Level 2 goods are more advanced than Level 1 goods because they collect data, and have better displays, rechargeable timers, networking solutions, and keypads. The hiring of a licensed electrician and the use of energy-efficient goods that have passed rigorous testing to earn the ENERGY STAR designation is also important safety precautions to take.
Electricians may be able to tell customers if their homes have enough electricity to charge a car. It’s possible that some households don’t have enough power to run Level 2 gear. However, if you don’t have enough circuits for Level 2 charging, a licensed electrician can easily install them.
San Jose, California, was an early adopter of regulations mandating the installation of car charging systems in single- and two-family dwellings; here, we’ll go through those regulations, as well as the permission procedure and strategic placement of your home charging device. Other communities have followed Seattle’s lead in recent years, with resources like their EV charging installation guides for homes and businesses.
Adhering to Rules
Installations of charging infrastructure must adhere to all applicable regional, state, and federal laws. The relevant permissions may be needed from the local building and regulatory authorities.
On the page titled “Codes and Standards Resources,” you may find further information on relevant codes and standards. According to the National Electrical Code, EV charging stations constitute a constant load (NEC). For a secure and code-compliant installation, your electrician should be familiar with the relevant NEC. The majority of the data relevant to charging equipment is located in NEC Article 625. Before investing in charging equipment or electrical services, it is recommended to study the requirements by consulting the car manufacturer’s manual.
An approved site installation plan is sometimes required before construction can begin in many places.
The price of charging electricity
An electric vehicle’s energy efficiency might be reported as kWh/100 miles. The price of energy (in dollars per kWh) and the efficiency of the vehicle (how much power is consumed to drive 100 miles) are required in order to get the cost per mile for an EV. Using the above numbers, the cost per mile is around $0.03 if power costs 10.7 per kWh and the car uses 27 kWh to drive 100 miles.
For example, if the price of power in your area is 10.7 per kilowatt-hour, it would cost you about $6 to fully charge an electric vehicle with a range of 200 miles (assuming a completely drained 54 kWh battery). Use the Vehicle Cost Calculator to get an idea of how much it will cost to maintain and fuel various makes and models of both conventional and electric vehicles. EV charging is a good choice when compared to more traditional ways of getting around because residential power tariffs are consistent and easy to plan for. Reading the report will enlighten you further: To what extent do the energy costs of driving an electric car or a gas-powered car compare per mile?
