Choosing electric vehicles over combustion-based vehicles is one of the easiest and most effective ways to lower your carbon impact while saving money on gas and maintenance. But to cut costs even more, many EV drivers are installing vehicle chargers in their home garages as an alternative to public charging stations.
The scoop
One Reddit user recently shared their experience installing a home EV charging outlet with the help of a local installer recommended by the Qmerit platform.
The user opted for a Level 2 fast-charging system: a popular in-home charging option which relies on a 240-volt circuit. Their Reddit post detailed the quick and easy process of uploading photos of their electrical panel to Qmerit in order to receive expert installation recommendations from the platform in a matter of days.
In the end, since the homeowner's existing electrical panel lacked the room for a full 240-volt circuit, they decided to go for a subpanel, as proposed by their installer. The entire process took less than two months, per the post.
"The need for a subpanel was enough to not be a 'standard installation' according to Qmerit/Chevy's definition … so I agreed to submit [only] the job for the breakers, wiring, conduit, and labor to Qmerit so it would be a 'standard installation' from Qmerit's perspective and the subpanel installation would be a separate job that I'd pay for directly," the poster explained.
How it's helping
Making electric vehicles even cheaper to own with home charging systems can incentivize drivers to make the switch and go electric. If you're interested in charging your EV in your home garage, follow this Redditor's lead and check out Qmerit. By answering a few questions and uploading a couple of photos, you'll receive free instant cost estimates through the platform and subsequent recommendations for vetted installation services in your area within three business days.
Combustion-based vehicles generate massive amounts of tailpipe carbon pollution through fuel-burning — over 1.1 billion tons in 2022 alone, according to the University of Michigan's Center for Sustainable Systems. This pollution clogs up our atmosphere and traps heat on our planet, resulting in higher global temperatures, resource shortages, intensified extreme weather events, and more.
Electric vehicles may not be perfect, especially when it comes to the mining-intensive processes required in battery production, but their pollution-free tailpipes certainly place them a tier above combustion-based vehicles in the sustainability department. And without regular gas expenses, and with low overall maintenance costs, the comparatively low price of EV ownership is yet another point in their favor.
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Home charging with Qmerit is one way to keep EV maintenance costs even lower, but in order to make the most of a home charging system and maximize your savings, consider installing solar panels to power your charging system and the rest of your home. You'll drive down your energy bills and make your lifestyle that much more sustainable by choosing solar options over conventional dirty fuels.
The Cool Down's Solar Explorer tool makes it easy to get started on solar panels by connecting you with trusted installation services and saving you up to $10,000 on the process.
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I'm team hybrid 🔋 What everyone's saying
Folks in the comment section of the Reddit post were quick to share their own positive experiences with Qmerit.
"I also had a good experience," one user wrote. "Got it done a few weeks after purchase, full 40A charging service (two 50A breakers), standard install for me and no cost. The contractor used did a great job."
"Qmerit did my install last week …I just had them wire an outlet and mount the charger near that. Works fine," added another.
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