5 Steps to Prepare Your Home for an Electric Vehicle

Each year, more and more automakers are offering electric vehicles (EVs) that deliver strong specs, good looks, and incredible efficiency. The Kia lineup is home to a number of EV and hybrid options, ensuring you can score the legendary Kia warranty, affordability, and performance with your EV upgrade. When you make the switch to an electric model, you can enjoy tremendous benefits like cost and fuel savings. With that said, you’ll need to do some work to prepare your home for an electric vehicle. Luckily, you have the expert Hendrick Kia of Cary team on your side to set up your electric vehicle charging station in your Raleigh garage. Learn more with us below!

Step 1: Select an Electric Vehicle Home Charger

The first thing you’ll want to do when you prepare your home for an electric vehicle is to determine what type of charger suits you best. When you buy an electric vehicle, charging your batteries is just like going to the gas station in Durham. However, you can bring this chore home with you, making life easier than ever before. You can have either a Level 1 or Level 2 charger in your electric vehicle charging station, depending on your needs. More charging information can be found here:

• Level 1 EV charging usually takes an entire day to fully recharge. 
• Level 2 EV charging can take as little as a few hours to complete a charge. However, you have the benefit of gaining anywhere from 60-200 miles of driving range in just 20-30 minutes of charging time with a Level 2 electric vehicle charging station. 

Step 2: Ready Your Garage

Before you bring in an electric vehicle home charger, take the chance to clear out the clutter from your Apex garage. This ensures that you’ll have adequate space to comfortably charge your EV! When you own an electric vehicle, charging your batteries doesn’t need to involve fighting through boxes and clutter to get to the charger!

Step 3: Find Your Power Panel & Assess Consumption

An important step in preparing your home for your EV is to determine the amount of energy you consistently use. Most homes are equipped with a power panel that has an amperage rating of 100 amps. Assessing your usage before installing your EV charging station is important so you don’t overload your electric distribution panel. 

Step 4: Hire an Electrician

At this point, you’ll want to bring in a professional electrician. You can discuss any questions or concerns you have about installing an EV charger, and they can ensure the job is done properly. The electrician can install a dedicated 240-volt plug or add a hardwired circuit back to the power panel. In most cases, this job will run a few hundred dollars. However, if your power panel needs an upgrade, you could be looking at a bill of up to $3,000. 

Step 5: Buy Your Charger & Have it Installed

Select the EV charger type you prefer and have it professionally installed. From there, you’ll be able to keep your electric vehicle batteries charged whenever you need to top off! 

Rely On Hendrick Kia of Cary For Your EV Information!

If you have any lingering questions about how to get started with your electric vehicle home charger, contact us at your earliest convenience! Our team is here to help you make a smooth transition to an EV. You can also visit our Cary showroom to explore our current selection of electric vehicles!