Car technology is changing rapidly. With innovations in alternative fuel sources such as biodiesel, hydrogen and electric cars, we need to adapt as well. The most successful of these alternative cars are certainly electric cars, according to Bloomberg. They give you the autonomy from petrol stations, but they do require their own recharging systems. Fortunately, most cities have adopted this new technology and you can find recharging stations pretty much everywhere.
Of course, the most important recharging station should be at your home and it’s easy to find a professional to help you with this at sites like paulmacrina.com/electrical/electric-car-charger-installation/. However, if you are looking to install one in your home yourself, here are some steps you need to take before that can happen.
Standard Charging
Normally, you can charge your car with the regular current from the grid, but it takes an awful lot of time, as much as 18 hours. Getting a dedicated electric car charger cuts this time down to just 3 hours, a sixfold improvement. Even though it is easy to install the charger, it is still advised to contact a professional for that job. This is because this installation will have to be inspected by an authority before you can put it into work, say electronics experts at Patriot Electric & Generator Service.
Pick Your Charger
If you are driving any electric car apart from Tesla, all the chargers use the same input plug. That means that you have more variety to choose from. Still, they are far from being all the same. These chargers range in price from $500 to $1000, depending on the amperage and the cord length. Ideally, you want the higher amperage to minimize the charging time and maximize output, but even the charger with the lowest available amperage will make your charging much more effective. Even though they may seem complicated, they’re as straightforward and simple as they come. The standard AC input is accompanied by a ground wire and a switch which makes sure that the charger is plugged all the way in.
Prep Your Home
Before you start any work, make sure that your home has proper installations to support the charger. These chargers operate on a higher voltage than other devices, so having a sound electrical grid is paramount. If that isn’t the case, you are faced with a much more complex problem of replacing the installations to accommodate your new car and its charger. While you are checking, it is a good idea to assess the age of the wiring, since older wires tend to be poorer at transmitting electricity, raising the costs of the whole project. You can search for ‘top ranking Electrician near me‘ and find a qualified electrician who can replace all the faulty wiring for you. And if you are doing it yourself, make sure you follow all the codes and laws for your region.
Pick a Location
Once you’ve done all the pre-installation work, you can start the installation. Depending on the size of your garage and the length of the cable, the position of your charger can be very important. Probably the best place to put your charger is close to the door. This way, you can charge your car even when it is parked outside the garage. Most regions offer incentives to people who buy electric cars, so maybe you can get some major discounts on the charger and the installation.
Electric cars are an important part of the new greener future we must strive for. Consider buying an electric car to replace your petrol-powered one. If not for the planet, do it for the incredible savings you can expect from never visiting a petrol station again.
