Are you considering buying a Ford EV from our new or pre-owned vehicle inventories at Capital Ford Winnipeg? The last thing you’re probably thinking about is how to prepare your home for an electric vehicle. While EVs have many benefits — among them, a potential reduction in your carbon footprint and lower maintenance costs than most gasoline cars — one aspect of them that requires a bit of preparation is taking delivery of them. Namely, when you buy a new-to-you EV, you want to make sure that your electric vehicle home charger is set up and ready to go. 

Sure, there are electric vehicle charging stations in the Brandon area. Electric vehicle charging batteries are also an excellent option if you’re planning on taking your EV on a long-distance trip out past Portage la Prairie. However, an electric vehicle home charger will still probably be your primary method of charging for the foreseeable future. Let’s take a look at how you can prepare your home for an electric vehicle, such as the F-150 Lightning or the Mustang Mach-E!

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

If you haven’t already researched types of EV chargers, now is a good time to start. As a refresher, most electric vehicle home chargers fall into Level 1 or Level 2. Here’s more information: 

• Level 1 EV Charging: Usually takes days to fully charge an electric car. 
• Level 2 EV Charging: Typically takes several hours to fully charge an electric car. You can often get between 96–322 kilometres 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

Are you procrastinating on cleaning out or organizing your garage? Best to get a jump start on your spring cleaning! The sooner you prepare your home for your EV, the sooner you’ll be able to enjoy the setup of your at-home electric vehicle charging station! You don’t want to risk not having enough space for your electric vehicle, home charger, and all of your personal belongings in one 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. Many new homes in the Dauphin area come with a 100 Amp power panel. However, if you’re having trouble determining your amperage, there should be a 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

The next step is to hire an electrician. You can discuss any concerns you have about your power consumption and adding EV charging, as well as have them 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

You’ve decided on a charging type. You’ve cleaned out the garage. You’ve paid a professional electrician. Now is the time to research and purchase your at-home electric vehicle charging station. Ideally, your electrician will be standing by to install it on your behalf.

Shop for Electric Vehicle Charging Batteries and More at Capital Ford Winnipeg

Have any remaining questions about electric vehicle charging batteries, how to properly maintain your EV after driving back to your Winnipeg home, or something else? Feel free to reach out to us at Capital Ford Winnipeg for further assistance! Our finance specialists are standing by if you choose to move forward with the purchase of one of our stellar EVs afterward!