How to Prepare Your Garage for an EV

Charging EV

Buying an electric vehicle is a great decision for many Kirkland drivers, but it isn’t something you should do without some prepwork. Namely, if you haven’t had an EV before, you’ll have to ensure your garage is ready with a charging station. To take delivery of your next new EV from Seaview Buick GMC, you’ll want to be sure to set up your home charging station with these simple steps. Have questions for us as you read? Contact us anytime!

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1. Choose a Charging Level 

There are many different levels of charging and types of EV chargers. Most home EV charging systems fall into either Level 1 or Level 2. Here’s more information on the difference between these two types of chargers:

  • Level 1 EV charging generally takes around a day (24 hours) to completely charge an electric car. 
  • Level 2 EV charging generally takes takes several hours to fully charge an electric car. With most EVs, though, you can gain anywhere from around 60-200 miles of range in about half an hour with Level 2 charging, though. Because of this, many people choose to mix daytime charging for “top-offs” with nighttime charging for “fill-ups”.

2. Organize Your Garage

In order to charge your EV in your garage, you’ll first need to ensure that there’s space to park it. Seems simple enough, but for many Seattle homeowners, a decluttered garage is somewhat of an anomaly. If you have a lot of organizing and decluttering to do, it’s better to get started sooner so you can be ready for your shiny new EV!

3. Find Your Power Panel & Assess Consumption

The power panel in your home distributes electricity throughout the building. It will be rated for a maximum amount of current, measured in Amperes. While most new homes have a 100 Amp panel, your home may have something different. 

Once you’ve found your power panel, you’ll want to assess your average usage by assessing previous electricity bills. The goal is to get an idea of whether or not your current panel can handle charging your future EV; you do not want to overload your distribution panel!

4. Hire an Electrician

The next step in the process of getting your garage ready for an EV is to hire an electrician. Do you have potential concerns about future power consumption with an EV charging system? Bring up these concerns. You can also get an electrician to install a special 240-volt plug or add a hardwired circuit back to the power panel. This will generally only cost a few hundred dollars, but cost a few thousand dollars depending on your home and how up-to-date the electric panel and associated equipment are. 

5. Buy Your Charger & Have it Installed

The final step is to buy the EV charging system of your choice, and get it professionally installed. 

Shop for Your Next New EV at Seaview Buick GMC!

Ready to find your next EV in-stock at Seaview Buick GMC? Check out our new vehicle inventory near Edmonds. Not finding what you like available now? Custom order your next EV now.