A parking garage charging station. Could a home EV charging station be better for this EV owner?

Hybrids & Electrics

Electric Charger: It Really Does Cost Thousands to Set up a Home EV Charging Station

Have you considered the cost of setting up a home EV charging station to keep your vehicle running? Maybe you should.

by Nathaniel Ehinger

Published on July 29, 2022

3 min read

It’s not a secret that our future involves electrified driving. Eventually, more than half of the cars on the road will be electric vehicle models. This will likely grow from there, and we may one day see nothing but electric vehicles sold at dealerships around the country. Before this time comes, many homeowners will need to install electric chargers in the form of home EV charging stations to handle the overnight charging duties of various EV models.

How much does it cost to set up a home electric charger?

A Simple home EV charging station to keep this EV running. — Home EV Charging Station | Herr Loeffler, Adobe Stock

If you don’t mind your EV taking up to 20 hours to charge, it won’t cost you anything extra. You can still plug electric vehicles into a standard 120-volt power outlet and let it charge up like your laptop battery. However, if you want something more practical, you need a Level 2 charger installed at your home.

The cost to install one of these charging stations varies depending on the type of home you have and where you want to install the charger. Cars.com ran a study of six different home situations to understand the costs associated with this installation. Here’s what they found:

Side of the House Home EV Charging Station

Installation: $900
48-amp charger $743
Permit $95
Total Cost $1,738

This installation had no hiccups or challenges, and it took about three hours to complete the job.

Home with Detached Garage Charging Station

Installation: $6,045
48-amp charger $750
Permit: $125
Total Cost: $6,920

The service required upgrading from 100 to 150 amps, and the project took about two days to complete.

Home EV Charging Station Inside the Garage

Installation: $1,450
48-amp charger: $650
Permit: $50
Total Cost: $2,150

This was a relatively easy installation, and it took about four hours to complete the work.

Attached Garage with Plug-In Charger Installation

Installation: $3,012
40-amp charger: $690
Permit: $94
Total Cost: $3,796

The service required an upgrade or energy management device, and the work took about four hours.

Townhouse with Remote Parking Home EV Charging Station

Installation: $3,750
40-amp charger: $550
Permit: $150
Total Cost: $4,450

This installation required a Wi-Fi repeater for full charger functionality and was complicated because the charging circuits go through a neighbor’s property.

Townhouse with HOA Charging Station

Installation: $3,050
48-amp charger: $650
Permit: $150
Total Cost: $3,850

This installation faced challenges of HOA approval and a concrete sidewalk and took about three days to complete.

What does this information tell us about installing a home charger?

If you’re going to buy an electric vehicle and charge at home, you will need to spend some money to pay for a home EV charging station. Some automakers offer to cover the installation cost, but that cost has a limit and might only apply to the least-expensive option.

What is the difference between Level 1 and Level 2 EV charging?

You might wonder why you need to install an upgraded system at your home. Can’t you plug into the regular outlets in your garage? Yes, you can, but that is a Level 1 charger which only charges your EV batteries at about four miles per hour. According to Charge Point, adding a Level 2 charger to your home increases this number to nearly 25 miles per hour. If your EV has a 300-mile range, it could take 12 hours using a Level 2 charger, but that Level 1 charger, well, you do the math.

Is it cheaper to charge an EV at home?

Yes, charging your car at home is cheaper than charging out on the road. You should plug your electric vehicle in every night to ensure you have a full charge in the morning. If you want to charge during working hours, you might need to convince your employer to install charging stations in the employee parking area.

Can I install my own electric charger?

You might want to try and tackle this job yourself, but you shouldn’t. Unless you are a licensed electrician with experience installing high-amperage circuits, this is a job better left to the professionals. In the shared examples, you see a permit used for each one. That permit assumes a professional is doing the work. Typically, an inspection occurs upon completion of the work.

Are you ready for the electrified future?

Is your next car going to be an EV? Do you have a home EV charging station ready to go? Even if you’re not ready to head into the future of electric driving, that future is coming and will be part of your world. At least you know the added cost of installing the Level 2 charging station in your home.

Next, check out the only heavy-duty diesel truck with two power levels, or watch the video below and learn more about the cost of installing a home electric charger: