One electric vehicle owner installed her own EV home charger right in her garage, saving her trips to the local gas station, as well as money on charging. Joanna Stern wrote for the Wall Street Journal that she "spent roughly $125 on electricity to drive just under 2,500 miles" over half a year. The best part is, you can do it too.
The scoop
Stern explains that a regular 120-volt wall outlet provides Level 1 charging, which would take more than two days to fully charge her Ford Mustang Mach-E's 290-mile battery. According to Car and Driver, Level 2 charging is six to eight times faster than Level 1, which means your car's battery will be at 100% when you wake up if you charge it overnight. However, the latter requires a 240-volt wall outlet typically needed for more energy-intensive appliances like washers, dryers, and ovens.
"My [240-volt outlet] installation cost about $1,000 but the pricing can vary widely," Stern shared, prefacing that older homes may have a trickier time with wiring issues. Rewiring America has free tools to help you find qualified contractors at the best price for your project.
Stern said she was surprised at how much she could offset the cost of the charger when she investigated her options:
"My utility provider, PSE&G, says it will cover up to $1,500 on eligible home-charger installation costs," she wrote. "I just need to submit some paperwork for the rebate. In addition, New Jersey offers a $250 rebate on eligible charger purchases. (Phew! My ChargePoint is on the list.) If all is approved, I'd get back around $1,250."
Stern made clear that more needs to be done to raise awareness of these types of credits and rebates: "I didn't know about these programs until I started reporting on this. Nearly half of home-charging EV owners say they, too, are unaware of the programs offered by their electric utility, according to a 2024 study released by J.D. Power." She linked to a state-by-state breakdown of potential savings by Kelley Blue Book.
In addition to an adequate wall outlet, Stern also recommends choosing a smart charger that can optimize your charging experience. Smart chargers optimize charging based on factors such as the time of day, electricity prices, and more, and they may require strong and reliable Wi-Fi access to operate.
"This is not something where you just go to Amazon and sort for lowest to highest price," Tom Moloughney, host and creator of the YouTube channel State of Charge, told the WSJ.
How it's working
Charging an EV at home with capable Level 2 charging saves you trips to public chargers, and you can do it on your own time. Paired with a smart EV charger, your at-home tech will know when to stop charging to save on energy usage. With tools like WattBuy that help you shop for the most affordable clean-energy electricity plans, at-home EV charging can cost you even less.
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Cost 💰 Electrifying your home, vehicle, and appliances is one of the easiest ways to save money while helping the environment. Electric appliances and vehicles do not use dirty fossil fuels, minimizing the amount of carbon and other harmful gases emitted by your home, leading to a cleaner and cooler planet.
Currently, you can save 30% or up to $1,000 on a qualified in-home EV charger under the Inflation Reduction Act, with $1,000 more than enough to cover 30% of installing a Tesla charger, for example.
What people are saying
Although some were grateful for the detailed cost analysis of Stern's at-home EV charging, others expressed disappointment about the more difficult barriers in the way of home charging for city dwellers.
"My takeaway from this article is, however, that EVs are only for residents of single family homes and maybe condos. For the 2.1 million residents of Los Angeles City that live in multi-family rentals that comprise 58% of the city's housing stock,...well, I guess they can look forward to public transportation," another commenter wrote.
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