Prospective electric vehicle owners have to consider a variety of factors when it comes to deciding if they want to purchase an electric car. From wondering about the resale value to whether their electric car will be as powerful as a standard vehicle, one of the main concerns of prospective owners is if they will need electrical upgrades to charge their car at home.
To answer the concerns about charging, it is possible to charge your electric car at home from a normal house outlet. However, with the help of HedgeHog Electric, you can have several options when it comes to charging your electric car at home.
CHARGING YOUR ELECTRICAL CAR IN A REGULAR OUTLET IS POSSIBLE
As long as you have the right charging cable to connect with your electric car, you can plug your car into a standard three-prong outlet
However, you should be sure that the 110-120 volt outlet is its own dedicated circuit so that the amperage that your car will draw won’t trip the breakers in your home. If that is not how your outlet is set up, you should have our electricians install a dedicated circuit for the outlet you will use for charging your car.
OPTIONS FOR CHARGING YOUR ELECTRIC CAR AT HOME
In general, we don’t recommend you use a standard 110-120 volt outlet to charge your electric car. Part of this lack of recommendation is due to the fact that you will need a dedicated circuit anyway, and you can simply get a more powerful circuit installed.
But, the other consideration is that charging your electric vehicle from a regular wall socket will take a lot of time. In fact, if your car battery is completely drained, depending on your vehicle, it can take 16 hours to completely charge your electric car again.
Rather than leave your vehicle out of action for hours at a time, there are other charging options you can explore to effectively power your electrical vehicle at home.
240-Volt Outlet
Another option you can choose to power your plug-in electric vehicle is to have a 240-volt outlet installed, also referred to as level two charging. With one of these outlets, you can cut your charging time down to four hours for most electric cars. Only if the battery is completely drained will you need eight hours of charging time if you have a 240-volt outlet?
For those interested in having an independent circuit installed along with a 204-volt outlet, our electricians can easily take care of the work and get your electric car up and running in no time.
Solar Panel Charging
If you have already gone renewable with your vehicle, why not make the whole system dependent on renewable energy? That’s right, you can have solar panels installed to gather energy and power your electric car.
Also, if you aren’t ready to commit to a full solar panel set up, you don’t have to in order to enjoy solar recharging for your vehicle. Our electricians are able to set up a smaller section that can be fed to your 240-volt outlet to assist directly with charging your vehicle.
Utah Rebates For Home Charging
As you consider your charging options, you should also know that there are Utah-based rebates and tax credits available for alternative fuel vehicles. For instance, heavy-duty alternative fuel vehicles will qualify for a $15,000 tax credit if at least 50% of their qualified mileage is driven in Utah.
LET HEDGEHOG ELECTRIC MAXIMIZE YOUR ELECTRIC CAR CHARGING
Whether you need a dedicated circuit to a standard outlet, want to have a level two charging station installed, or are looking for a combination of solar panels and outlet installation, HedgeHog Electric is here to help. We work with both residential and commercial clients on electrical projects of all sizes.
So, if you would like to upgrade your electrical system to better charge your electric car, be sure you contact Hedgehog Electric for all your electrical needs.
