If you've taken the leap and purchased your first all-electric car, you probably have some questions about charging it at home. While the switch from gas stations to overnight charging might seem daunting, the benefits that come from EV ownership are worth the lifestyle change. Get ready to enjoy major savings, convenience, and lowering your carbon footprint on the environment with your EV.
With proper installation, charging an electric vehicle at home is 100% safe for the driver, and is far easier than relying on public gas or Level 3 fast charging stations. To help excite you for this positive change, here are the key benefits of owning or leasing an electric vehicle and charging it at home.
1. Charging at home saves you time and money over charging in public
Much like gas stations for gas-powered vehicles, electric cars have public charging options as well. Normally for a fee, you can charge up in a pinch at a shopping mall, grocery store, or most public lots in major cities. But like most things, it costs less to do it yourself at home.
Through home charging, you can pay a flat fee for a residential unit and receive power from the same 240v capacity plugs that power your refrigerator or washing machine for preferred Level 2 home units. Though you may see a small spike in your electrical bill (normally less than $25-30 per month) you’ll still save money, and save yourself the trips to public charging alternatives. EVs often come with a Level 1 charger when you purchase them, but they often produce slower charging speeds and can take as much as 16-20 hours to achieve a full charge. Level 2 units, however, only take around 6-8 hours to achieve this, which means a full charging session can be completed overnight while the driver is asleep.
Public charging can also get incredibly expensive compared to the slight spike in your electric bill for home charging regularly. One of the leading public EV charging companies charges between $0.35 to $1 per minute for their fast chargers. While most Level 3 public fast chargers complete the job in 30-45 minutes, that adds up to be an average of between $10 and $20 per session. To compare, charging fully at home for roughly two weeks every single night would cost about the same to the consumer as one or two premium fast charging sessions in public.
Without a doubt, this makes charging at home over relying on public fast chargers to be the more affordable choice.
2. Charging at home is easier and more convenient
The best part about home charging? It's so easy and convenient. You can plug in your car and forget about it until you need to head out on the road again. When you get home for the evening, just plug in your car at night to charge while you are sleeping, and you'll wake up to a full battery before heading to work, school, or any morning obligations. Home EV charging options, such as the TurnOnGreen EVP700-B, can add roughly 30 miles of range to your electric vehicle in 60 minutes, or up to 200 miles of range within 6-8 hours of charging time.
The TurnOnGreen EVP700-B or EV700 units are affordable options to explore for home charging options.
Keep in mind that hiring an electrician is necessary to install your home charger if hardwiring the unit is required, especially if you purchase a Level 2 charger. The cost of a residential charger installation service can vary depending on your current electrical system and the potential need for home upgrades to complete the job. However, this work should take one workday or less on average, and prices may vary depending on your area or number of chargers needed on your property.
But after all is said and done, you can rest easy knowing you'll always wake up to a fully charged vehicle in your driveway after plugging it in just before bed, rather than hunting down a pricey, public fast charger on your free time.
3. Reduce your carbon footprint at home, and even qualify for rebates
Driving an electric vehicle (EV) and charging it at home rather than stopping at a public gas station has obvious climate benefits. For starters, because they are powered by an electric motor, EVs have zero tailpipe emissions. To compare this, a typical driver operating a solely gasoline-powered passenger vehicle in the United States emits about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) every year. As of 2019, drivers in the United States are responsible for a total of 762.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions on average per calendar year.
By driving an electric vehicle and charging it at home, you are choosing to reduce your environmental impact and power positive change in your own community. A 2015 study by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) estimates that by 2050, the electricity sector and the expected increase electric vehicle ownership could reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 1700 million metric tons relative to 2015 levels, which is around a 77% overall reduction to human activity related pollution in the United States annually.
Through charging at home and driving electric, you also may qualify for federal andor local rebates in your area. Rebates are forms of monetary incentives (such as a tax write-off or refund) granted by energy providers and government agencies which encourage consumers to shop mindfully and adopt products which are more environmentally-friendly in nature.
For example, the Build Back Better plan is proposing a 30% rebate for commercial electric vehicle charging options for businesses, and federal rebates worth up to $12,500 are available for consumers who purchase a new electric car from certain make and models (excluding Teslas).
To see a list of rebates at the local and state level, visit https://turnongreenev.com/resources/federal-and-state-electric-vehicle-incentives/ to learn more.