Can You Charge Electric Vehicles at Home?

Electric vehicles offer tons of benefits for the average driver, and if you’re thinking of making the switch, there’s never been a better time to do it. Many Beachwood drivers ask us, “Can you charge electric vehicles at home?” and the answer is yes. In fact, there are several ways to charge your car in your own garage—but it takes a little bit of preparation. Luckily, it’s not difficult to charge your EV at home, especially when you utilize the services that Mercedes-EQ recommends.

Mercedes-EQ has teamed up with Qmerit for EV home charger installations and ChargePoint for home charging stations to make it as easy as possible for you to charge your electric vehicle at home in Mayfield. Learn how to prepare your home for an electric vehicle with Mercedes-Benz of Bedford, and get in touch for all of your automotive needs!

1. Decide on a Charging Type

So, can you charge electric vehicles at home? Yes, and there are two primary options for your electric vehicle home charging station. Level 1 EV charging involves your standard electrical outlet, but it’s the slowest by far. A Level 2 EV charging station must be installed professionally, but it speeds up your charging time exponentially. Here’s more information about electric vehicle home charger options:

• A Level 1 electric vehicle home charger often takes days to fully charge an electric car. It is the least efficient option but certainly one of the easiest since it can utilize a standard wall outlet.
• A Level 2 electric vehicle home charger only takes hours to fully charge an electric car. With this method, you can easily recharge a vehicle or top it off overnight. Our recommendation is to opt for a ChargePoint Home Flex wall box charger that can be installed by the experts over at Qmerit.

2. Ready Your Garage

Before you bring your EV home, we recommend cleaning out your garage. A little spring cleaning is a good idea for convenience and also practicality. If you plan to install a Level 2 electric vehicle home charging station from ChargePoint, it makes sense to clear out the clutter before your appointment.

3. Find Your Power Panel & Assess Consumption

Next, you’ll need to assess how much electricity you use and how much you’ll need for your new vehicle. You do not want to overload your electric distribution panel.

Your power panel will be rated for a maximum amount of current flow measured in Amperes. Usually, you’ll see a 100 Amp power panel, but the exact figure will be printed on your circuit breaker. We recommend performing a self-assessment of your electricity use before you install an EV charging system. This helps to ensure you won’t overload your system! You can always talk to the experts at Qmerit if you have any concerns about installing a Level 2 wall box charger.

4. Hire an Electrician

If you want to charge your EV at home, find an electrician that can handle the job. Many Cleveland drivers install a dedicated 240-volt plug or add a hardwired circuit to the power panel. The costs often run just a couple of hundred dollars, but if your power panel needs upgrading to support your energy levels, the bill can run up to $1,000 or $3,000.

5. Buy Your Charger & Have it Installed

The last step is to buy your electric vehicle home charging station and get it installed by your electrician. Our suggestion is to utilize a ChargePoint Home Flex charger which will work best with your Mercedes-EQ model. If you can’t find an electrician you trust, utilizing the experts at Qmerit is your best option. Qmerit is working with Mercedes-EQ and ChargePoint to make your Level 2 home charging solution simple and straightforward.

Once your ChargePoint Home Flex charger is installed, you can enjoy the convenience of at-home charging on your own schedule—and benefit from the range of Mercedes-EQ charging stations around the country.

Find Out More with Mercedes-Benz of Bedford

We’ve gone through the basics of how to prepare your home for an electric vehicle, but if you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. When you combine our expertise with the professionalism of the teams over at Qmerit and ChargePoint, you’ll find that it’s never been easier to prepare your home for an EV from Mercedes-EQ. Contact us at Mercedes-Benz of Bedford or stop by our Bedford showroom to discuss the latest Mercedes-EQ electric vehicles.