Cost to install outlet for plug-in electric vehicle?

I know the equipment is extra.


I just happened to ask the same question of my neighbor who got a Tesla. She said they just plug it into the regular outlet in their garage, and take it to a nearby charging station occasionally. who knew?


I had a 120 volt outlet installed outside by my driveway for $200. It will probably cost more for higher voltage.


Your existing house wiring will give you a slow charge.  For a "level 2" charge, you need to install either a heavy duty outlet or a charging station.  Installation costs will depend on your specific situation.  In our case, we installed the heavy duty outlet next to the driveway for level 2 charging (I don't remember the technical details offhand, but our car cord has a great big plug, and it is on a 50 or 60 amp circuit).

(Level 2 charging for our Tesla means that we can give it a full charge in a few hours, rather than overnight, which is absolutely worth it to us... also, the cost per kwh is significantly lower at home than at a paid charging station)

Ours was a pretty easy installation, as we had upgraded the electrical board a  few years ago, and had the right sized circuit unused and available.  Also, our electrical board is in the basement right next to the driveway, so the electrician just had to go up a few feet and make a hole in the brick to get to the right installation spot. 

We didn't bother with the $500 "charging station", but just bought the right charging cord from the dealer for $50 or so.  All in, the cost of the new outlet, the charger cord, and the electrical permit added up to about $575 (in Jan 2020), partially offset by a tax credit that may or may not still exist. 


Susan, I love reading your answers to questions.  This happens to be a topic that I know a great deal about, and I can add nothing to your response.


DanDietrich said:

Susan, I love reading your answers to questions.  This happens to be a topic that I know a great deal about, and I can add nothing to your response.

Hey, if I can quickly share our hard-earned knowledge, happy to do so!


Can any electrician install the outlet, or are there ones that specialize in these? I would imagine one would want someone who has familiarity with pros/cons of different types of locations/covers or any other considerations if it will be in regular use for an electric vehicle.


sprout said:

Can any electrician install the outlet, or are there ones that specialize in these? I would imagine one would want someone who has familiarity with pros/cons of different types of locations/covers or any other considerations if it will be in regular use for an electric vehicle.

I don't think a standard installation is a particularly specialized job, so you might ask your standard electrician first.  Since we were between electricians, we got a referral for Toth Electric, and have been happy with their work.


DanDietrich said:

Susan, I love reading your answers to questions.  This happens to be a topic that I know a great deal about, and I can add nothing to your response.

I always marvel at susan1014's posts.

eta - And yours too. 


sprout said:

Can any electrician install the outlet, or are there ones that specialize in these? I would imagine one would want someone who has familiarity with pros/cons of different types of locations/covers or any other considerations if it will be in regular use for an electric vehicle.

any licensed electrician can install the outlet.  The supply equipment is a separate thing that plugs in to the outlet.  Some people prefer to skip the outlet and hardwire the supply equipment.  It's up to you.  But just to keep nomenclature correct I will point out that every electric car has its' charger built in.  The box you plug the car into is technically called Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment, or EVSE.  Everyone calls them chargers to simplify things, and that's okay.  There are many choices for these things, and many power ranges.  I have a 50 amp outlet on my house that I plug my EVSE into, but it only draws 32 amps.  I could run it on a 40 amp outlet, but I tried to plan for a bigger unit if needed in the future.  Code requires a 20% allowance, so a 32 amp unit needs a 40 amp breaker.  


My Sonata hybrid is excellent. But E.V. battery life is about 10 years. It is1 year old and gets 42 m.p.g. (Less in winter, more in summer). But I drive 50k miles per year because most of my hiking and photo trips average 100 miles, round, per trip.

 I am interested in a plug-in hybrid which would lead me to buying about 15 gallons of gas per month. Hyundai plug in gets 100 miles on the slow, overnight charge. 


Formerlyjerseyjack said:

My Sonata hybrid is excellent. But E.V. battery life is about 10 years. It is1 year old and gets 42 m.p.g. (Less in winter, more in summer). But I drive 50k miles per year because most of my hiking and photo trips average 100 miles, round, per trip.

 I am interested in a plug-in hybrid which would lead me to buying about 15 gallons of gas per month. Hyundai plug in gets 100 miles on the slow, overnight charge. 

How much would it cost if you had to replace your battery? Is it one battery or a bunch of replaceable modules? I read that replacing all the battery modules on Tesla's is about 25,000. 

Is life really 10 years? What about usage such as miles driven?

If car batteries last about 10 years it makes me wonder about the comparably short life of cell phone batteries. It seems cell phones can also be given 10 year batteries but I guess that would demotivate the purchase of new phones.


Many manufacturers now warrant EV batteries for up to 10 years, but they may last much longer.  My 2014 leaf battery was in excellent condition when I sold the car in 2021, and the battery technology was three generations older than current tech.  All EV battery systems are designed with battery cooling and conditioning as key components.  That's not necessarily done with phone batteries, which aim for weight savings at almost all costs.  I fully expect the battery in my current Kia EV to last up to 15 years at 80% capacity.


The most expensive thing might be the wire especially if you want to run from your main panel to the garage. 


DanDietrich said:

Many manufacturers now warrant EV batteries for up to 10 years, but they may last much longer.  My 2014 leaf battery was in excellent condition when I sold the car in 2021, and the battery technology was three generations older than current tech.  All EV battery systems are designed with battery cooling and conditioning as key components.  That's not necessarily done with phone batteries, which aim for weight savings at almost all costs.  I fully expect the battery in my current Kia EV to last up to 15 years at 80% capacity.

Good to know. I was holding off due to my perceived of battery issues. I'll be taking a closer look.

Besides, by 10 years cars are often replaced.


We used Toth to install a 50 amp outlet for my EV.  It was pretty costly but they did a great job and I haven’t a clue if anyone else would have been cheaper. 


RTrent said:

Good to know. I was holding off due to my perceived of battery issues. I'll be taking a closer look.

Besides, by 10 years cars are often replaced.

It isn't that the battery collapses. Rather, the charge capacity diminishes over time. What got you 100 miles, would get you, maybe 40 miles.

On the plug-in, I would use the outdoor receptacle for a 12 hour, slow charge.


Formerlyjerseyjack said:

It isn't that the battery collapses. Rather, the charge capacity diminishes over time. What got you 100 miles, would get you, maybe 40 miles.

On the plug-in, I would use the outdoor receptacle for a 12 hour, slow charge.

no, you are spreading misinformation.  I wrote in my post that 80% after 15 years is my goal, but my battery is guaranteed to hold 80% after 10 years, not 40%.  And your charging info is for plug in hybrids, not EVs.  A 110 volt circuit would not be a good long term solution for an EV.  


DanDietrich said:

no, you are spreading misinformation.  I wrote in my post that 80% after 15 years is my goal, but my battery is guaranteed to hold 80% after 10 years, not 40%.  And your charging info is for plug in hybrids, not EVs.  A 110 volt circuit would not be a good long term solution for an EV.  

Mistake easily-made I’m sure! FJJ is clearly a straight-shooter. 

Nobody challenged RTrent’s 25k quote for a battery replacement, unless I’m misunderstanding.

Is that a real number?


That is the number that is usually kicked around, but it depends entirely on size, chemistry and make.  For example, a new battery for my 2014 leaf would only be about 7k, but that was a 24kwh battery.  My Niro has a 64kwh battery.  Tesla's range from 70-95 or so, with some bigger than that.  It is a constantly changing market, though.  There are several start up recycling companies that have found ways to recycle older batteries and chemically enhance them to have more capacity then when new.  That's all just getting established, though.  But think what a modern engine and transmission costs these days.  


jimmurphy said:

DanDietrich said:

no, you are spreading misinformation.  I wrote in my post that 80% after 15 years is my goal, but my battery is guaranteed to hold 80% after 10 years, not 40%.  And your charging info is for plug in hybrids, not EVs.  A 110 volt circuit would not be a good long term solution for an EV.  

Mistake easily-made I’m sure! FJJ is clearly a straight-shooter. 

Nobody challenged RTrent’s 25k quote for a battery replacement, unless I’m misunderstanding.

Is that a real number?

It varies but easily found by Googling "tesla battery replacement cost" which gets links like

https://www.makeuseof.com/how-much-cost-replace-tesla-battery/

Back in 2019, Elon Musk said that replacing battery modules only costs between $5,000 and $7,000. Each Tesla model uses between four and five battery modules per vehicle, meaning a complete replacement will set you back between $20,000 and $35,000.

An ev car battery is expected to keep 80% of its charging ability for 10 years. iPhone battery lasts only a few years -- my iPhone 7 charge lasts for only a few hours. Are they different types of battery?

A complete Tesla battery replacement runs into the 10s of thousands. But after years of N.J. driving in salted roads, how will the undercarriage be?


RTrent said:

As I posted, I am interested in a plug-in, not an ev.


You guys have to stop equating Tesla with EV.  There are many brands.  Yes, the batteries are very different than phone batteries.  And the Chassis of any car will likely be as good as those they make for other models.  My 10 year old Toyota has a fine chassis, as does my 84 Ford truck.  But I wouldn't want a Chrysler chassis.  It's frustrating that you seem to offering opinions and criticisms without any research or knowledge about the subject at all.


DanDietrich said:

You guys have to stop equating Tesla with EV.  There are many brands.  Yes, the batteries are very different than phone batteries.  And the Chassis of any car will likely be as good as those they make for other models.  My 10 year old Toyota has a fine chassis, as does my 84 Ford truck.  But I wouldn't want a Chrysler chassis.  It's frustrating that you seem to offering opinions and criticisms without any research or knowledge about the subject at all.

Dan, if you are including me in the above, are you interpreting my posts as criticism or as an effort to find answers about a large purchase I may make in the next couple of years?



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