You’re thinking about buying a new home, and you’re also considering going electric with your next vehicle. It only makes sense that EV chargers new homes are something on your mind. More people are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint, and electric vehicles are a big part of that.
The rise of electric vehicles has changed what homeowners need. Builders are taking notice and adding EV chargers as a standard feature on properties.
Integrating clean energy, including EV chargers, needs to be handled right when projects are started. Building solar, and battery capability in designs can greatly cut expenses. It makes adding those components later way more seamless.
The process is fairly simple with the design aspect incorporated upfront. Being ready gives folks that move into their new property a huge advantage. For a new property, the builder could give those buyers several levels of charging capacity depending on what they decide and how it matches their needs.
Multifamily developers have other considerations. For instance, multifamily developers could handle their billing on consumption and tie it back to any given renter to pass those expenses on.
There are primarily two levels of EV chargers relevant to new homes. Understanding the distinction can be beneficial for homebuilders.
Level 1 charging uses a standard 120-volt household outlet. This is the most basic type of charging. It’s slow, adding only about 2-5 miles of driving range per hour.
While convenient, it is typically impractical for a new construction. It just takes too long to fully recharge most modern EVs.
Level 2 uses 240-volt power, the same as a clothes dryer or oven. It charges a vehicle much faster and adds anywhere from 10-60 miles per range hour of charging. This range varies based on the model of charger being used and the capacity of the new EV.
Level 2 EV chargers new homes is most preferred by EV owners. New Maryland legislation starting in 2023 has taken Level 2 as standard and requires EV capability for new homeowners.
It provides a much bigger speed increase. Most homeowners opt to schedule charging overnight with this speed.
EV-ready new construction helps with EV adaptation across the United States. EV-ready simply means new construction accounts for charging capacity in some way.
There are three types:
There are two key connector types that builders have to keep in mind when building.
J1772. The North American Charging Standard for EV Charging on Level 1 or Level 2 speeds.
NACS/J3400. Previously referred to as the Tesla connector, since only they use this design, although there is a universal wall version to accommodate more EV Models as they move over to the Tesla design.
Having EV-ready status as part of the property increases value. Demand for properties increases due to a changing vehicle consumer segment.
Adding EV charging stations to a home can make it more appealing to a growing number of buyers. This can be a significant selling point, especially in areas with high EV adoption rates.
Consider home’s circuits rating since a range anywhere between 24 to 80 could apply when setting up a property.
Be aware of additional needs like furnace usage, A/C output, kitchen appliance usage among other general things and appliances people use. Buyers need to plan in terms of the full load they have to bear, if planning for EV too.
Having capacity or expanding it for the whole property becomes a challenge. Most modern-day properties support anywhere between 150 to 200 amp capabilities. In fact, it’s even recommended to use 40 or 50 amp in some instances for over-night purposes. Certified electricians in this process come in super handy to help gauge where things are currently about full electrical capability, especially in handling any upgrades in preparation.
Home chargers like those provided by Emporia give options in handling property-load management. That can handle tracking all circuits across the property.
This is particularly helpful for homes with multiple EVs or high-power appliances. Load management can help prevent overloading the home’s electrical system.
The cost of charging installing an EV charger can change based on several points. Typically speaking though most charger installations run around $800 to even above $2,000. Things like distance to circuits impact it most.
Below is a HTML table comparing capabilities and cost, depending on charger level types that most homeowners can easily use in any typical day.
Charging Type | Voltage Used | Typical Output (kW) | Time for Complete Charge | Typical Mile Gain/Hour | Cost Estimate for Installation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Level 1 | 120V | 1 – 1.5 kW | Days | 3-5 miles/hour | Minimal |
Level 2 | 240V | 6-19 kW | Overnight | 15-60 miles per hour | $800-$2,000+ |
Generally speaking, adding an EV charger to your place would make sense if going electric is also the way you’re heading on your vehicle plans. EV chargers offer flexibility, cost benefits in terms of overall driving costs, and boost convenience substantially since overnight re-charging is now a common occurrence. Plus with the anticipated cost decrease of EV vehicles, they also boost your property value, as they’ll likely be more popular with younger generations like Gen Z and Gen Alpha when the time comes.
Electric vehicles keep moving and increasing momentum in everyday living. Over 5.6% of all purchased car vehicles fell under the EV umbrella last year, growing with all types of incentive support coming through to give further appeal. It is a worthwhile investment to look at local utility to explore utility programs.