How to Outfit Your Garage for an Electric Vehicle

More drivers are adopting electric vehicles than ever before, but the uninitiated may not know the basics of charging up at home. Many drivers can rely on a level one charger, which can be plugged into a standard home outlet and provide about five miles for each hour of plug-in time—perfect for getting an overnight charge for tasks around town, according to David Roberts of Efficiency Vermont, a utility dedicated to reducing energy expenditures. If your outlet is within 20 feet of where you’ll park, you should be set to charge without any changes to your home, he says. "We often tell folks putting more than 40 miles a day on their car that they’re probably better off stepping up to what’s called the level-two charger," Roberts explains, which, like larger home appliances, requires roughly twice the voltage of a standard outlet.

Both of those charging modes are appropriate for home use. There are faster types of chargers available, but those models—known as DC fast chargers—are more expensive and are generally designed for commercial or public spaces, Roberts says. Although hooking up level-two charging equipment is "basically like installing another electric appliance," Roberts recommends bringing in a licensed electrician, who can safely make necessary electrical-capacity or weather-resistance upgrades.

Some other additions to the garage!

Top illustration by Scott Wilson.

Photos courtesy of respective companies.