Maybe This Will Spark Something

Even though the number of electric car charging stations has rapidly increased due to increasing demand, many owners of electric cars prefer to charge their vehicles at home for the sake of convenience. However, plugging a car into a standard regular household outlet may take too long to reach a suitable charge, depending on the driver's needs. This is why many electric car owners opt to install a 240-volt outlet instead of the basic 120-volt household outlet.

Here's what all of that means and why you should hire an electrician when you purchase an electric car. 

Level 1 (120-volt) vs. Level 2 (240 volt) Charging

The regular household electrical outlets in your home and garage are 120-volt. These are the outlets that you plug your television and laptop into. There are also 240-volt outlets, which are the outlets that your clothes dryer and electric stove plug into. Clearly, the 240-volt outlets can handle more voltage than the 120-volt outlets by definition. This means that 240-volt outlets will charge electric cars faster than 120-volt outlets. 

Typically, level 1 chargers come with electric vehicles while level 2 chargers are upgrades or purchased aftermarket. Whether or not you think you will need a level 2 charger, it's a good idea to get one anyhow if you do invest in an electric car simply because it's better to be safe than sorry. There will be situations when you simply do not have the time to slowly charge your vehicle and/or you need to go a longer distance than you normally do. Therefore, hire a residential electrician to install a level 2 charging station on your property.

Choose a Dedicated Parking Spot for Your Electric Car

Ideally, the charging station installed solely for powering your electric car will be located in your garage, if you have one. If you don't have a garage you'll need to find a parking spot specifically for your electric car so the electrician can install the charging system where it will be needed. The electrician can tell you any code enforcement requirements that you may have to comply with based on the local regulations and standards. 

If the only option you have for parking your electric vehicle is on the street in front of your home, you'll still be able to plug your vehicle into a dedicated outlet that you install for your electric vehicle; however, you may need to purchase a longer charging cable in case someone parks in your spot when you need to charge your vehicle. 

For more information, reach out to a company such as Zapp Electric Inc.