Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming increasingly popular in Australia as people look for greener, more sustainable ways to travel. You may have noticed an increase in Teslas driving around your area or have noticed the little blue ‘EV’ triangle on licence plates, indicating that the car in front of you is an electric vehicle.
As more and more people look at purchasing electric vehicles, many of our customers are asking, ‘can you charge an electric vehicle at home?’ The answer to that is yes, most definitely. To keep your EV running it needs to be charged regularly, and that’s where EV charging stations come in.
What is an EV Charging Station?
An EV charging station is a device that supplies electric energy to recharge your electric vehicle. These stations are equipped with specialised charging equipment and are designed to safely and efficiently recharge the batteries in your electric vehicle.
There are three main types of EV charging stations:
Level 1 EV Chargers
This is the slowest type of EV charging and uses a standard 120-volt household outlet. Level 1 charging typically takes 8-12 hours to charge an EV battery fully.
Level 2 EV Chargers
Level 2 chargers use a 240-volt outlet and are much faster than a Level 1 charging system. Depending on the vehicle and the charging station, Level 2 charging can take between 2 and 8 hours to fully charge an EV battery.
DC Fast Charging
DC fast charging is the fastest type of EV charging and uses a special high-powered charging station. These charging stations can charge an EV battery up to 80% in just 20-30 minutes.
What are some of the benefits of having an EV charging station installed in your home?
Having an EV charging station installed in your home offers a range of benefits, including:
- Convenience: There’s no need to try and find a charging station in your area to charge your car; you can simply plug in at home.
- Cost Savings: EV charging is typically cheaper than petrol, which can help you save money on fuel costs.
- Sustainability: EVs produce zero emissions, which makes them an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional petrol-powered vehicles.
- Improved Air Quality: By reducing the number of petrol-powered vehicles on the road, electric cars can help improve air quality, which can have significant health benefits for you, your family and the broader community.
- Future-Proofing: As more countries and cities set targets to phase out petrol-powered vehicles, investing in EV charging infrastructure in your home can help future-proof your residence.
- Increase in sale price: If you’re selling your home, having an EV charging station can increase the demand and overall sale price.
How are EV charging stations installed in a home?
As with anything electrical, it’s best to work with a licensed electrician like HLA Electrical to make sure your EV charging station is installed safely and correctly. We have the expertise and experience to help you choose the right charging station, assess your electrical system, obtain permits (if necessary), and install the right charging station to meet your needs.
Here are the main steps we follow when installing EV charging stations in our Brisbane customer’s homes:
Step 1 – Assess Your Electrical System
Before installing your EV charging station, it’s essential we assess your current electrical system to make sure it can support your charging station. We determine the voltage and amperage of your electrical service and whether your electrical panel has the capacity to support the additional load an EV charging station may cause.
Step 2 – Choose the Right Charging Station
There are many different types of EV charging stations available, each with different features and charging speeds. Don’t worry; we will help you to choose a charging station that is compatible with your EV and meets your needs in terms of charging speed, connectivity, and other features.
Step 3 – Choose a Location
You’ll need to choose a location for your charging station that is easily accessible to your electric vehicle and provides enough space for the charging station and any associated equipment. Don’t worry; we can also help with the best positioning depending on the layout of your home.
Step 4 – Install the Charging Station
Once we’ve decided on a location for your charging station, we will install it. This involves mounting the charging station on a wall or pedestal, running electrical wiring to the charging station, and connecting the charging station to your electrical panel.
Step 5 – Test and Activate
After your charging station has been installed, we thoroughly test it to ensure it is working correctly. Once that’s done, you can start using it to charge your EV!
As the popularity of EVs continues to grow, we are getting more and more requests for home-based EV charging station installations. As we install more and more charging stations every day, the future of EVs looks very bright indeed.
