Electric vehicle ownership in Lexington has grown significantly in recent years, and most new EV owners quickly discover that charging on a standard 120-volt household outlet is too slow for daily use. A Level 2 charger, which runs on a 240-volt circuit, adds 20 to 30 miles of range per hour and is the standard solution for home charging.
Level 1 charging uses the cord that came with your vehicle plugged into a regular 120-volt outlet. It adds roughly 4 to 5 miles of range per hour. For a driver who covers 40 miles a day, Level 1 charging works but leaves little margin.
Level 2 charging uses a 240-volt circuit, the same voltage as your electric dryer. It adds 20 to 30 miles per hour depending on your vehicle and the charger amperage. Most homeowners with a Level 2 charger plug in when they get home and wake up to a full battery.
A standard Level 2 circuit uses a 40 to 60-amp breaker. Whether your existing panel can support this depends on what circuits are already in use. A licensed electrician checks your available capacity during the quote visit. If the panel is at or near capacity, there are a few options: a panel upgrade to 200 amps, a load management device that shares capacity with other large circuits, or a lower-amperage 30-amp charger circuit that most panels can handle.
We run a new 240-volt circuit from your main panel to the garage or wherever you want the charger. The circuit terminates at either a NEMA 14-50 outlet (so you can plug in the charger cord) or a hardwired connection (for wall-mounted units). The charger unit itself can be one you supply or one we source. Most installations take two to four hours.
A permit is required for new electrical circuits in Lexington, including EV charger circuits. We handle the permit application and inspection scheduling as part of the installation.
If you recently purchased an electric vehicle or are planning to, call us at 859-555-0140 and we will walk you through the process before scheduling the installation.
