What You Need to Know Before You Buy an EV

So you just bought (or are considering buying) an electric vehicle... exciting, right? Dealerships do a great job highlighting the benefits (lower fuel costs, sleek technology, and the joy of driving something brand-new), but there’s one big piece of the puzzle that often gets left out of the conversation: charging at home.

Most EV owners do the majority of their charging at home, which makes convenience a top priority... but not all chargers are equal and not all homes are prepared.

If you want to be able to quickly charge your EV without tripping a breaker or overloading your panel, here's what you need to know before you bring home that new vehicle.

1. Consider Your Home Panel Capacity

Your electrical panel is the “brain” of your home’s power system. Most modern homes have 100–200 amps of total capacity.

• A Level 2 EV charger is not like a lamp, you can't just plug it in. It has to be configured to fit in your electrical panel, just like your dryer or dishwasher.
• Most Level 2 chargers require a dedicated 40–60 amp circuit, but many home panels are already close to full. Especially if your home was built before 1990.
  • FYI: Level 2 is the preferred charger for EV and can add 20-50 miles of range per hour, versus a Level 1 charger that only adds 3-5 miles of range per hour. It's much faster and thus what most homeowners choose.

Don't be caught off guard. You may actually need a panel upgrade before you can have you preferred EV charger installed.

2. Consider Panel Location

If your electrical panel is located on the same wall as your garage, running wiring to the charger can be relatively quick. But if your panel is in the basement, or on the opposite side of the house, the electrician may need to run conduit through walls, ceilings, or outdoors. More distance = more material and more labor.

3. Consider Charger Type & Power Rating

Chargers are rated by amperage: 32A, 40A, 48A, and beyond. The higher the amperage, the faster the charging, but the more demand it places on your system. For example:

• A 40A charger requires a 50A breaker.
• A 48A charger requires a 60A breaker.

Choosing the right charger isn’t just about speed. It’s about matching it to what your home can safely support.

4. Consider Future-Proofing

If you think you’ll own a second EV in the next 5–10 years, it’s often smart to oversize your wiring or upgrade your panel now. Re-doing the work later almost always costs more than planning ahead.

Why an Evaluation Matters

A dealership isn’t going to walk you through panel capacity, breaker sizing, or wiring runs. But these are the exact details that determine whether your charger install costs a few hundred dollars or several thousand.

That’s why the smartest move is to have an electrician evaluate your home before you purchase the EV.

An evaluation will answer questions like:

• Do you need a panel upgrade?
• Where’s the best location for the charger?
• What amperage charger makes sense for your driving habits and your home’s electrical limits?
• Can you plan ahead for a second charger or higher speed in the future?

The Bottom Line - Call an Electrician First

Buying an EV should be exciting, not stressful. But without understanding your home’s electrical readiness, it’s easy to run into frustration and unexpected costs.

At Top Line Electric, we help homeowners throughout Minnesota make the transition to EV ownership smooth and simple. Our licensed electricians can evaluate your panel, recommend the best charging solution, and handle the installation start to finish so you can focus on enjoying your new car.

Thinking about an EV? Call Top Line Electric today and let us get your home EV-ready.

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