How to Prep Your Home for an EV

One of the perks of owning an electric vehicle is the fact that you don’t have to worry about making gas runs anymore. But that also means that you need to take care of your vehicle when it comes to providing it with the ability to charge. So how do you prepare your home for an electric vehicle? We’ll give you a step-by-step guide below so you know everything you need to welcome your new St. Louis, MO EV home!

While there are electric vehicle charging stations in the Merriam area, an electric vehicle home charger will still probably be your primary method of EV charging for the foreseeable future, anyway. With that said, let’s delve into five easy steps you can take to prepare your home. Or if you don’t own one yet and you’re doing your research to see if going electric is the right choice for you, then contact us today and we’ll help you find your perfect new car match!

1. Decide on a Charging Type (AKA Charging Level)

If you haven’t already done research on types of EV chargers, now is a good time to start. As a refresher, most home car charging systems fall into Level 1 or Level 2. Here’s more information:

• Level 1 EV charging often takes days to fully charge an electric car. 
• Level 2 EV charging often takes several hours to fully charge an electric car. You can often get between 60-200 miles of range in just 20-30 minutes with Level 2 DC charging, though. For this reason, most people intermix daytime “top-off” charging with overnight charging.

2. Ready Your Garage

One of the first things you need to do is make sure you have room in your Wichita, KS garage for your new charger. So if your garage is overdue for a cleaning, now would be the time to do it. The best way to make sure the process goes smoothly when the charger gets delivered is to have a clean, clear space.

3. Find Your Power Panel & Assess Consumption

The power panel in your home distributes electricity throughout the entire building. It should be rated for a maximum amount of current flow measured in Amperes. Most new homes come with a 100 Amp power panel, but there should be an amperage rating printed on your main circuit breaker.

Next, you’ll want to get a handle on how much electrical energy you consistently use in your house by performing a self-assessment of your electricity use before you install an EV charging system. You do not want to overload your electric distribution panel.

4. Hire an Electrician

Hiring an electrician means you get the advice of a professional on how best to fit your charger into your home. You can discuss any concerns you have about your power consumption and adding EV charging. And they can install a dedicated 240-volt plug or add a hardwired circuit back to the power panel. Usually, this costs a couple of hundred dollars but could be up to $1,000 or $3,000 if it’s found that your power panel is not sufficient as-is and requires upgrading. 

5. Buy Your Charger & Have it Installed

If you haven’t already researched and purchased an EV charger at this point, it would be the time to do so and have it professionally installed by the electrician of your choice.

Contact Mercedes-Benz of Kansas City to Learn More!

When it comes to electric vehicles and charging batteries, there’s a lot to know. We’re excited to welcome you into the Mercedes-EQ family with a new EV model from our dealer near Lawrence, KS. Reach out if you have any questions about your current electric vehicle or if you’re ready to make the upgrade, take a look at our EV inventory and then contact our finance center team and they’ll lead you through the purchase process.