Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger Installation

About Electric Vehicle Chargers

ev chargerDriving an electric car means more than saving some money on your weekly gas bill. You are helping the air quality in California while decreasing our country’s dependency on foreign gas and oil. Your budget will not be as heavily impacted by rising fuel costs. When you buy an electric car in Los Angeles you are creating more green jobs and doing something to make a change. Here is some basic Electric Vehicle Charger information. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 818-446-0888.

More and more car manufacturers are making electric cars and plug-in hybrid cars and the number of both car models and the number of cars sold is increasing each year. The change from gas to electric vehicles, referred to as EV cars or simply EV (Electric Vehicles), is happening faster than most people think. By 2022, industry analysts predict that the overall costs of owning an EV is likely to drop below that of conventional gas powered vehicles, at which point electric and hybrid cars may rapidly become the car of choice for an increasing number of new car buyers.

If you are in the market for a new vehicle this may be the right time to consider purchasing your first electric vehicle. Currently, California residents are being offered incentives from the state as well as the federal government and Los Angeles utility companies to help make the switch to fully electric or gas-saving hybrid cars. The rebates and tax breaks may also apply to the purchase of an EV charger and for the EV charger installation. You could also be given another financial break if you charge your car at night.

The first mass produced electric car, the well known Toyota Prius, was originally a battery/gas hybrid car that was not a true “plug-in” EV. Instead, its electric battery was recharged when the driver stepped on the brakes or the car was coasting downhill – that was back in 2003. Since then, manufacturers have come up with both hybrid and fully electric plug in vehicles, referred to as PEVs.


Level 1 Chargers

level 1 chargerTo recharge the car’s battery, the PEVs come with a standard Level 1 charger. The Level 1 charger is a fairly basic EV charger that usually comes with the electric or hybrid car and can be plugged into a standard 120 volt electrical outlet in your garage.

When you use a Level 1 charger, it is important that it is on its own dedicated electrical circuit. This means no other devices should be plugged into the same outlet on the same circuit breaker. For enhanced safety, the outlet should also be a GFCI type receptacle to guard against electric shock.

There is one drawback with a Level 1 charger. It can take up to 12 hours to fully charge some vehicles using 120 Volt standard house power. Depending on which vehicle you own, you’ll get from 3 – 5 miles for every hour you charge your car with a standard 120 Volt receptacle. If you only drive short distances and never completely deplete your battery this may be okay for you. Every night you will need to plug in your car to give it enough charge to get through the following day.


Level 2 Chargers

level two chargerThere is another option for those who want and need to get the battery of their electric vehicle fully charged in a shorter amount of time. A Level 2 charger, depending on the charger and the vehicle, can charge a typical EV car in about 4 – 6 hours. A Level 2 charger is bigger than the Level 1 charger and is typically mounted on the wall of your garage or an outside wall near where the EV car is parked. An electrical cord comes from the Level 2 charger and plugs into a port in the EV car. You can think of it as your own mini gas station in your garage, except you are using electricity to fill your car rather than gasoline.

The chart below gives you a nice breakdown of the speed of charge you can expect a Level 2 EVSE (electric vehicle supply equipment) to provide for the vehicles listed. The chart is figured by the driving miles added for every hour of charge.

Model Max Charge ~Miles Added Per Hour 100% Electric or PHEV
Audi A3 e-tron 3.3 kW 11 PHEV
BMW i3 7.4 kW 25 100% Electric / REx
Cadillac ELR 3.3 kW 11 PHEV
Chevy Spark EV 3.3 kW 11 100% Electric
Chevy Volt 3.3 kW 11 PHEV
Fiat 500e 6.6 kW 22 100% Electric
Ford C-Max Energi 3.3 kW 11 PHEV
Ford Fusion Energi 3.3 kW 11 PHEV
Ford Focus Electric 6.6 kW 22 100% Electric
Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid 6.6 kW 22 PHEV
Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid 3.3 kW 11 PHEV
Kia Soul EV 6.6 kW 22 100% Electric
Mercedes B-Class Electric 10 kW 29 100% Electric
Mercedes S550 Plug-in Hybrid 3.3 kW 11 PHEV
Mercedes C350 Plug-in Hybrid 3.3 kW 11 PHEV
Mitsubishi i-MiEV 3.3 kW 11 100% Electric
Nissan LEAF 3.3 kW / 6.6 kW 11 / 22 100% Electric
Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid 3.6 kW / 7.2 kW 12 / 24 PHEV
Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid 3 kW 10 PHEV
Smart Electric Drive 3.3 kW 11 100% Electric
Tesla Model S 10 kW / 20 kW 29 / 34 100% Electric
Tesla Model X 10 kW / 20 kW 25 / 30 100% Electric
Toyota Prius Plug-In 3.3 kW 11 PHEV
Volkswagen e-Golf 3.6 kW / 7.2 kW 12 / 24 100% Electric

Source: EV Obsession.com

A Level 2 charger will need to be installed by an electrician familiar with EV chargers. The Level 2 charger requires 240 volts, which is not the typical outlet in a home or garage. An electrician will need to determine whether or not your existing electric panel can handle the new circuit. If not, you will need an electrical panel upgrade before the Level 2 charger can be installed. During this consult, you will be given a quote for the electric vehicle charger installation and you can discuss the best placement for the charger.


What Are Our Customers Saying?
Take A Look For Yourself!

Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger Reviews - The Electric Connection - Los Angeles Electrician

The Electric Connection did a great job installing our Tesla charger.

Tom Jacobsen

08/11/22 02:26PM

Jesse came in with professional manner and checked the site of the electric charger to be installed,then calculated the amount and its the same amount quoted by phone.Jesse and other person installed...
Read the full review on Google

betty dangley

07/26/22 06:07PM

tesla wall connector installation

Work done by Jose on 10-04-2022 in Beverly Hills

Install two Tesla Wall Connectors on pedestals

Work done by Jesus on 07-14-2022 in South Pasadena

install 60a tesla charger

Work done by Roger on 03-16-2022 in Studio City

Tesla Wall Connector Installation

Work done by Jesus on 03-03-2022 in Pacific Palisades

EV charger maintenance

Work done by Jose on 02-07-2022 in Huntington Beach

Tesla Wall Connector Maintenance

Work done by Jesus on 02-04-2022 in Sherman Oaks


Electric Vehicle Makes and Models

We are working on compiling a database of electric vehicle makes and models so you can easily find out which car works best for you. Check back often as this will be an ongoing project.

logo for porsche
List of current Porsche electric vehicles:

  • Porsche Taycan

View more information on Porsche EVs.

hyundai logo on transparent background
List of current Hyundai electric & PHEV vehicles:

  • KONA Electric
  • IONIQ Electric
  • 2022 IONIQ 5
  • TUCSON Plug-in Hybrid
  • 2022 SANTA FE Plug-in Hybrid
  • IONIQ Plug-in Hybrid

View more information on Hyundai EVs.

ford logo on transparent background
List of current Ford electric & PHEV vehicles:

  • Mustang Mach-E
  • Escape Plug-in Hybrid
  • F-150 Lightning
  • E-Transit

View more information on FordEVs.

Mitsubishi logo
List of current Mitsubishi electric vehicles:

  • Outlander PHEV

View more information on Mitsubishi EVs.

nissan logo
List of current Nissan electric vehicles:

  • LEAF
  • ARIYA

View more information on Nissan EVs.


Incentives and Tax Credits for your EV Charger

Since 2015, California has been offering rebates on charging stations installed in homes. However, the rebates are limited and given out on a first come, first serve basis. Power companies are offering a lower electricity rate to those with chargers that use the charger at night. Sometimes the utility company may require a separate meter to measure the car charger separately to ensure you are getting a lower electric rate. More information about special state financing, incentives, and tax credits can be found here.



*** By clicking “Submit” I agree to receive future information via email from The Electric Connection ***

We respect your privacy. The information you provide on this form will be used only by The Electric Connection to send you information about our company and services. We will never share, sell or distribute your information with a third party and you can unsubscribe at anytime. View our Privacy Policy.