There are a lot of reasons you bought an electric vehicle. Lower fuel costs, reduced maintenance and a smaller energy footprint are just some of the advantages of driving an EV. One issue that comes up with these vehicles is the power supply. Most homes in the United States have a house current that runs at 120 volts. That’s great for small appliances, but it’s a bit slow for full-sized cars. One way to get around this limitation is to install an EV charger on your garage wall. EV Charger Installers in San Jose: Our Uniformed & Friendly Techs Are Trained to Handle Any Job! Call Us Today. Local Electrical Experts.
Charging Your Electric Vehicle at Home
Charging your EV at home is definitely one of the perks of owning an electric vehicle. Not only does it cost roughly half the going rate for gasoline, you wake up to a “full tank” every morning. It takes time to fully charge a car though. The charger that came with your electric vehicle probably plugs into a normal wall socket and takes up to 12 hours for a full charge. This is what’s called a level 1 charger. It’s portable and easy to use, but it takes a long time to top off the car.
Should You Get a Level 1 or Level 2 Electric Vehicle Charger?
Level 1 chargers can be convenient for many EV owners, especially if you’re traveling and can’t be sure there’s a charging station where you’re going. For faster charges, however, most owners eventually invest in a level 2 charger. Level 2 chargers typically run at up to 40 amps, which means they deliver a lot of current really quickly. There’s no danger to your car from this. Because EVs control their own charge rates, they never take more electricity than they can handle. A good charge rate for a level 2 charger is maybe 2 to 4 hours for a full load.
The Advantages of Hardwired Wall Chargers
Some level 2 chargers are portable, just like the level 1 unit that came with your EV. They have limitations, however. Many EV owners have a car that handles 20 or 30 amps on a charge, but which can peak at near 40 amps when it’s available. Future EVs are expected to do better even than that, and so it’s the received wisdom in the industry that you should opt for 45 or even 50 amps if you can. At present, the only realistic way to get this capacity is with a wall-mounted EV charger.
Hiring a licensed electrician for installing a car charger is a significant investment. Unless your house can already handle a current of 240 volts at 50 amps, you may need new hardware to support the EV wall charger. This is the kind of current an electric dryer or stove use, and you can tell a 240 volt outlet by its special, heavy-duty configuration. If your garage has an outlet like that, your basic house wiring probably doesn’t need an upgrade.
The Installation Process
The first step to installing a level 2 wall charger is to pick the location. Ideally, the spot you choose will be close to where your car’s power port is when you’re parked. Every EV model has a port in a different location, so it’s good to have a car before starting the installation. This limitation can be gotten around with a charging cable long enough to reach around the car. As a rule, the standard 16-foot cable isn’t long enough for this, so a 20-foot cable is probably more practical.
Once you’ve chosen the location, it’s time to choose the charger model itself. Tesla utterly dominates the EV market in the United States, so their chargers have become a sort of industry standard for other models.
Home EV Charger Installation
EV charger installers usually start by checking to make sure your house gets 240 volts, and that your breaker panel has enough amps to support EV charging. Most homes in the San Jose area get 240 volts off the mains, which is the U.S. standard current, and the breaker boxes have at least 100 amps to spare. Remember that your other appliances also need amps, however, so the 50 or so the EV wall charger pulls might put you over the maximum. If this is the case, the EV charger installer will probably upgrade your box to 200 amps capacity. The electrician might also have to install a new outlet in your garage, if you don’t already have one available.
The actual work of installing a Tesla wall charger isn’t too complicated for a licensed electrician. It mostly involves stripping a few wires and connecting them into the box, followed by mounting the box on the wall. Your installer may have to install mounting hardware to the stud for a secure connection. Once the system is installed, the electrician tests it for function and safety, and you’re ready to go.
EV Charging Installers in Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, and downtown San Jose.
EV owners in San Jose are lucky to live in a very EV-friendly community. Silicon Valley has several EV charging companies that provide electricity for vehicles downtown, as well as a thriving pro-EV political movement. Since 2012, San Jose homeowners have been able to apply for EV charger installation permits online. The permits are almost always quickly granted, since home charging reduces demand on the downtown level 3 charging stations.
Wooding Electric is a Santa Clara-based EV charging installer that can handle all the steps to safely installing your wall charger. As fully licensed and insured EV charging installers in Santa Clara, San Jose and the surrounding areas, we have nearly 30 years of experience helping Silicon Valley residents with their home electrical projects. Our trained and certified electricians can inspect and evaluate your existing home electrical wiring, even if you live in an older residence or your property has special electrical requirements. Safety is our first priority, and if we find an issue with your home wiring we help you find a solution that allows us to safely install an EV wall charger.
EV Home Charger Technicians
The technicians and staff at Wooding Electric regularly attend training to stay at the cutting edge of commercial and home electrical work. That makes a crucial difference in fast-developing fields like EV wall charger installation, where the state of the art is always advancing. We also believe in educating our customers about their home electrical issues, and in helping you understand the work that needs to be done and the reasons why. We explain all of the work that needs to be done to install a Tesla wall charger in your home in plain language, so you know what you’re agreeing to before you authorize work on your wires.
The customer service we offer at Wooding Electric sets the standard for EV charger installers in the area. We make your call a priority and answer all of your questions over the phone at no charge. There is never an obligation for calling us to ask for advice, and we guarantee you’ll have your concerns satisfied by the end of the call. Wooding Electric fully stands by all of the warranties we offer, from parts to labor, and your satisfaction with the work we’ve done is guaranteed, or we’ll come back to make it right every time.
If you live in Santa Clara, San Jose or any of the surrounding areas of Silicon Valley, the Peninsula or the South Bay Area, Wooding Electric can help you set up a home EV charger and never stop at a gas station again. Give us a call today at 1-888-WOODING(966-3464), for a free consultation about EV charger installation in your home.
