How to Prepare Your Home for an Electric Vehicle

Canton drivers are interested in electric vehicles for their many benefits, like a reduced carbon footprint and lower maintenance costs. That said, going to the dealership and buying a new Nissan electric vehicle, like the Nissan Leaf or upcoming Nissan Ariya, requires a little more work than buying a traditional gas vehicle. Namely, when you choose to buy an EV, chances are you’ll want to prepare an electric vehicle charging station at home. There may be public EV charging stations around Akron, but home charging will likely be the most convenient and reliable option for keeping your EV batteries charged. 

Below is a five-step guide on how to prepare you home for an electric vehicle so that you can be ready to hit the road with confidence!

1. Decide on an Electric Vehicle Charging Station Type (Charging Level)

There are some different types of electric vehicle battery charging stations available to be installed in your home. Most fall into one of these two categories:

• Level 1 EV charging can take a day or more to fully charge your vehicle. 
• Level 2 EV charging takes several hours to fully charge the range on your vehicle, though can easily provide between 60-200 miles of range within 20-30 minutes. This way you can intermix overnight charging with “top-off” daytime charges for errands around Massillon.

2. Ready Your Garage

Take the time to clean out and organize your garage before your electric vehicle or electric vehicle home charger arrives. You’ll want to make sure you have space for the installation of the charger and a place for your electric vehicle to charge its batteries. 

3. Find Your Power Panel & Assess Consumption

Your home’s power panel distributes electricity throughout the entire structure and will be rated for a maximum amount of current flow, measured in Amperes. The main circuit breaker will have your amperage rating printed somewhere. 

Then, you’ll want to get an estimate of how much electricity you consume on a regular basis. Adding an electric vehicle charging station can add quite a bit of energy to your daily usage and you want to be sure you don’t overload the system!

4. Hire an Electrician

Hire an electrician to discuss any concerns you have about your electricity consumption and adding an electric vehicle home charger. They can install a dedicated 240-volt plug or add a hardwired circuit back to the power panel for a couple hundred dollars, so long as your power panel has sufficient amperage. If not, you may need an upgrade to add more amps to your power panel. This is pricier and can range from $1,000 to $3,000. 

5. Buy Your Electric Vehicle Home Charger & Have it Installed

Now that your garage and power panel are ready, purchase your EV charger if you haven’t already! Bring back your electrician for the installation to ensure it’s done safely and correctly. 

Learn More About Electric Vehicles with Fred Martin Nissan!

Dipping your toes into the electric market doesn’t have to be hard. Keep reading about your favorite Nissan electric vehicles and the benefits of EVs at our Nissan Research Hub. If you have any questions about upcoming Nissan EVs, feel free to contact Fred Martin Nissan!