ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGER INSTALLER:
THE COMPLETE 10 STEP OVERVIEW

NEED AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGER INSTALLER?

Landers Electric is a professional electric vehicle charger installer in the San Diego County area.

We provide both residential and commercial EV charger installation services.

Whether you need an EV charger at home or need a commercial EV charger installation on your property, Landers Electric can help.

The goal of this article is to help you understand not only what to expect in the electric vehicle charger installation process, but how to choose the right installer for your electric vehicle charger.

It’s extremely important to understand that installing an EV charger is very dangerous and should not be completed by an unlicensed or unqualified person.

The content of this article is strictly informational and is being provided so home and business owners can understand the electric vehicle charger installer installation process and ask the right questions before hiring an electric vehicle charger installer.

Later in this article we’ll cover a complete overview of the EV charger installation process, but first I want to answer a few questions you might have to help you choose the right electric vehicle charger installer.

Are you ready?

Let’s dive in.

DO I NEED AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGER INSTALLER?

It is critical to use an electric vehicle charger installer for any new EV charger installation.

As we’ll discuss later in this article, there are many steps to appropriately install an electric vehicle charger.

Trying to install an EV charger yourself or choosing the wrong electric vehicle charger installer can have distastrous consequences.

Below are some examples of things that can go wrong:

Damaged Electric Vehicle
Melted Electrical Wires
Damaged Buss Bars
Need For Electrical Panel Replacement
Electrical Fires
$1000’s in repair costs

As you can see in the pictures below, it is critical to choose the right electric vehicle charger installer to ensure a safe EV charger installation.

HOW TO HIRE THE RIGHT ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGER INSTALLER?

Below are a few things to check before hiring an electric vehicle charger installer:

Are they licensed?
Are they insured?
Do they have good reviews?
Are they in good standing with the CSLB?
Do they have any references or pictures of prior work?
Have they completed at least 1 training program for installing EV chargers?

The above checklist details some of the most important questions you need to ask before hiring an electric vehicle charger installer.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO HIRE AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGER INSTALLER?

Prices can vary from one electric vehicle charger installer to another.

As I’m sure you’re aware, there are many variables that stipulate the cost of an EV charger installation.

Below is a breakdown of the typical cost an electric vehicle charger installer might charge. Landers Electric uses these rates.

Level 2 charger within 10’ of electrical panel - $1000-$1500
Level 2 charger further than 10’ from electrical panel - $1000-$1500 + $25 per linear foot

Keep in mind that there are many electric vehicle charger installer’s who charge less than $1000 for EV charger installations.

Make sure you ask the following questions before hiring one of these EV charger installers:

Will you be pulling a permit?
Will you be using an industrial rated EV charging receptacle or a cheap $10 receptacle?
Will you be using appropriately sized wires to handle the requirements of the EV charger?
Will you be following the manufacturers requirements?
Can my electrical panel handle the load of an EV charger installation?

should my electric vehicle charger installer know what size ev charger i need?

Every professional electric vehicle charger installer should be able to help you identify the EV charger that fits your needs.

The size of your electric vehicle charger depends primarily on your daily driving range/habits and your electric vehicle charger installer should discuss this with you prior to your EV charger installation.

Those with longer commutes will need an EV charger that charges the car at a faster rate.

The faster the rate of charge, the higher the ampacity of EV charger needed.

Most customers I’ve encountered need nothing more than a standard level 2 charger that charges at a rate of 32 amps.

This charger is usually included in the purchase of your electric vehicle.

The standard EV charger is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to charge your car because you don’t need to purchase an extra hardwired/plug in EV charger ($500-$1500).

Are There Any Special Benefits For Installing An Electric Vehicle Charger?

Your electric vehicle charger installer should be able to help you understand the special benefits that are available to electric vehicle drivers.

Many utility companies and even the federal government provide special pricing plans and tax incentives for those who drive electric vehicles and complete the EV charger installation process.

If you live in the San Diego County area, SDG&E provides EV pricing plan options.

Click here to view SDG&E’s pricing plan options.

Keep in mind, in some cases there are special tax advantages to purchasing an electric vehicle and installing an EV charger.

Click here to view The Unites States Department Of Energy tax credits for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.

These credits include the following:

Tax credits for purchasing an electric vehicle
Tax credits for an electric vehicle charger installers installation
Tax credits to help offset the cost of electrical panel upgrades

THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGER INSTALLER iNstallation PROCESS

Below we are going to take a deep dive into the electric vehicle charger installer’s installation process.

I need to remind you that this information is exactly that, information. It is NOT meant to be a DIY “how to” guide.

I am providing this overview so you can be aware of the process and know what questions to ask before you hire an electric vehicle charger installer.

Electric vehicle chargers should only be installed by licensed professionals who have been trained and know how to work on electrical circuits safely.

Electriciy is extremely dangerous and can cause serious bodily harm and/or death.

With that said, let’s begin.

OUTLINE OF THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGER INSTALLER PROCESS

Below is the process that your electric vehicle charger installer should follow before your EV charger installation.

Here is an outline of the electric vehicle charger installer process with quick links if you’d like to jump to particular section.

Step 1: Identify which EV charger is necessary to meet your EV charging needs

Most people will only need 20-32 amps of charging.

As stated above, your charging need depends on your daily driving distance and habits.

Calculating your charging need is a somewhat complex calculation. For a complete overview, click the link below.

Calculating EV Charging Times

The electric vehicle you choose should come with a standard charger.

This charger can plug into a dedicated 20 amp outlet.

Keep in mind dedicated means not sharing any other equipment (garage door motor, freezer, refrigerator, etc).

The receptacles in your garage are usually not dedicated.

If 20 amps is sufficient, you will usually still need to install a dedicated 20 amp receptacle to plug in your EV charger.

If 20 amps is not sufficient, you can buy a NEMA 14-50 adapter (some manufacturers provide this with your EV purchase) and use the standard charger as a level 2 charger. The adapter allows you to charge at 32 amps typically.

If you have a Tesla, below is a link to purchase NEMA 14-50 adapter as well as many other adapters they have available. (select 14-50 adapter from drop down menu)

Tesla Gen 2 NEMA 14-50 Adapter

The adapter plugs into a NEMA 14-50 receptacle. This will need to be installed in the location you choose.

When installing a NEMA 14-50 receptacle, ensure that the electric vehicle charger installer uses an “industrial rated EV charging receptacle”.

There are cheap receptacles that will work but I have seen them burn up within a year because they are not rated for the continuous use an EV charger requires.

Below are pictures of the industrial rated vs. cheap NEMA 14-50 receptacle.

Step 2: Research the manufacturer’s requirements for installing their specific EV charger

Every Electric Vehicle manufacturer usually provides an EV charger that comes standard with the vehicle purchase.

Some EV manufacturers sell additional wall mounted chargers that can charge the vehicle at a faster rate.

The rate of charge for a “fast charger” differs depending on the EV manufacturer.

Tesla, for instance, sells the Universal Wall Connector that charges at a rate of 48 amps.

Rivian sells the Rivian Wall charger that also charges at a rate of 48 amps.

Ford sells the Ford Charge Station Pro that charges at up to 80 amps or charge rate.

In addition to purchasing a fast charger from the manufacturer of your Electric Vehicle, you also have the option to purchase a universal charger from a number of manufacturers.

These chargers are said to be “universal”.

This means that they should be able to be used to charge multiple different types of electric vehicles.

Just because it says universal though, doesn’t mean it will work with your specific electric vehicle.

Make sure to check the list of compatible electric vehicles before purchasing any EV charger.

Below is a list of manufacturers of universal EV chargers:

Once you have decided on an EV charger, you now need to research what the manufacturer requires for their EV charger installation.

Most manufacturers require the use of a 50 amp or 60 amp breaker and the use of #6 THHN wire. # 6 THHN is rated at 60 amps. If you need to use romex, #6 romex can be used for a 50 amp installation.

For a 60 amp EV charger installation, however, you typically need to upsize the wire to #4 romex because #6 romex is only rated at 55 amps.

The EV charger installation manual should explain all of these details as well as other requirements for the EV charger installation.

Make sure your electric vehicle charger installer installs the EV charger according to the manufacturer’s requirements.

Step 3: Identify the amperage required for the EV charger that will be installed

Identifying the required amperage for your EV charger installation is a simple but crucial step before you can move on to the next step.

To identify the amperage required for your EV charger, follow the steps below:

Download or Open the EV charger installation manual
Find the electrical installation section
Multiply the charge rate by 1.25%

Some manufacturers specifically state the size breaker you need. If they do, you can use the breaker size to size your ampacity needed.

Below are some pictures of the circuit breaker ratings from a Tesla installation manual

Once you have this information, you can now move on to step 4

Step 4: Perform a load calculation to ensure the electrical panel can handle the added load

Performing a proper load calculation is one of the most essential steps in the electrical vehicle charger installer installation process.

A load calculation will tell you whether or not your current electrical system can handle the added load of an EV charger installation.

There are 2 methods to perform a load calculation that complies with the National Electrical Code requirements.

Below are the 2 methods to perform a load calculation for an EV charger installation.

Whole Building Residential/Commercial Load Calculation
Load calculation using utility bills

Load Calculation for EV Charger Installation Using Whole Building Residential/Commercial Method

This type of load calculation takes years of knowledge and understanding to complete.

Make sure your electric vehicle charger installer know what they are doing if this is the method they will use.

Load Calculation for EV Charger Installation Using Utility Bills Method

This is the simpler of the 2 methods.

Below are the details as well as pictures from a bill from SDG&E, the local utility company in my area:

Download/Open 12 months of utility bills
Locate the highest kW (not kWh) usage during each billing cycle.
Choose the highest kW usage of the entire 12 month period
Find the highest kW of all 12 billing cycles.
Multiply the highest usage perior by 1.25%
Subtract this number from your electrical panels main breaker amperage
Write down this number. This is your available ampacity
Find the size of your new EV charger breaker size
If your EV charger breaker size is smaller than your available ampacity, you are good to go
If it’s not, you will need to upgrade your electrical panel or purchase a smaller EV charger

Step 5: Upgrade the electrical panel if it cant handle the added EV charger load

If you electric vehicle charger installer runs a load calculation and determines your electrical panel cannot handle the added load of your new EV charger, you will need to upgrade your electrical panel.

This is a great option not only so you have more available ampacity for your new EV charger installation, but because it opens up options for adding more loads in the future.

It also provides your electrical system with a brand new electrical panel that will run more efficiently and safely.

Typical electrical panel upgrades consist of only a few sizes. Which size electrical panel you choose will depend on your curent and future electrical needs.

Below is a list of the most common electrical panel upgrade sizes:

125 amp
200 amp
225 amp
400 amp

Prices for an electrical panel upgrade range from $3500 - $20,000 depending on the complexity of your upgrade and whether or not digging needs to be done.

Click here for a detailed breakdown of the electrical panel upgrade process.

Step 6: Determine whether a permit is required for the level 2 EV charger installation

Most cities and counties require a permit in order for an electric vehicle charger installer to complete an EV charger installation.

Your electric vehicle charger installer can call the building department to find out information regarding permits for EV charger installations.

Below is a list of a few cities in the San Diego County area and their websites:

Step 7: Plan the location and conduit path for your EV charger installation

Make sure you discuss with your electric vehicle charger installer the below information:

What EV you are purchasing
The location of the charge port on your EV
Whether you back in or drive straight into your parking space
The location where you’d like the charger

Keep in mind, the further your EV charger installation is from your electrical panel, the more expensive the install.

EV circuits can be surface mounted to the walls and ceiling of your parking space, or they can be ran in the walls and attic/crawl space.

Once you know the path, you can then move onto step 8.

Step 8: Draft design drawings for the AHJ (authority having jurisdiction) if necessary

Once you know the location of the charger and the path it will take from your electrical panel, if a permit is required, your electric vehicle charger installer will need to draft up drawings to submit to your city/county for approval.

These drawings typically include the following:

Overall Site/Title Plan
Floor Plan
Electrical Single Line Plan
Panel Schedules
Load Calculations
Manufacturers Data Sheet

Step 9: Complete the installation according to the manufacturers specification/requirements

Make sure that your electric vehicle charger installer performs the work you discussed exactly how the manufacturer specified.

Once the installation is complete and if you were required to pull a permit, call for final inspection.

The inspector should spend the time to look for the following:

Proper Wire Size
Torqued Terminations
Compliant Means and Methods
Proper Voltage Reading
Correct Breaker That Matched The Electrical Panel Manufacturer
Final Operation With The Car Charging

Every inspector is different and might not check all these things.

This is why it’s so important to use an electric vehicle charger installer you trust.

Step 10: Test the circuit to ensure proper operation

Congratulations!

You’ve made it to the final step.

Once everything is complete, all that’s left is to plug the car in and make sure it works.

My recommendation, even if you have an EV charger that charger faster than 32 amps, is that you first try charging your EV at the 32 amp rate.

If that meets the needs you have with your daily driving habits, there’s no need to add extra stress on your electrical system charging at a higher rate.

In Conclusion

Thanks for taking the time to read through this EV charger installation overview.

I hope it was helpful.

As always, if you need an electric vehicle charger installer in the San Diego County area, feel free to call us anytime.

Click the “call now” button below to reach me on my cell phone.

Happy Charging!

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ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGER INSTALLER: THE COMPLETE 10 STEP OVERVIEW