How to Find the Best Home Charger for Your Electric Vehicle

It’s possible to recharge your EV or plug-in hybrid by simply using the supplied cable that came with the car and a nearby 120-volt outlet, the kind found in most North American homes and garages. But this method is very slow; every hour of charging will add only about 3 miles of range.

For drivers who use their EVs daily, a 240-volt wall charger—sometimes called electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE)—is practically a must. It increases charging speeds to 25 miles of range per hour of charging or more depending on the vehicle and charger combination. We think it’s also a worthwhile investment because charging at home is usually much cheaper than plugging in at public charging stations. And it’s clearly more convenient.

Owners of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) may not need a 240-volt charger because PHEVs can run on gasoline when they run out of charge. And our tests have found that many PHEVs can recharge fully overnight on a 120-volt outlet. But models with larger batteries, such as the BMW X5, take more than a day; 120-volt charge times for PHEVs can be found in the Ratings and Specs section for each model.

If you own a single-family home, the answer is usually yes. (You may have to check with the homeowners association if you have one.) If you have a condo or townhouse, or a shared driveway or garage, the answer might be more complex. You might not be allowed to install a charger at home, or you might have to request permission from your neighbor or your building’s management. And if you rent or live in a densely populated city, installing a charger could be a major challenge.

The national average installation cost is $548 to $1,382, according to HomeAdvisor, but it could rise to thousands of dollars if you need your wiring upgraded or if you have a charger installed far from your main electrical panel. 

When employees of CR’s Auto Test Center had chargers installed in their homes in central Connecticut between 2021 and 2022, they paid $500 to $4,000 depending on how much work had to be done. The simplest installation involved hardwiring a charger to an already upgraded electrical panel close to a garage. The most expensive installation was in a 200-year-old home where an electrician also had to dig a trench for wiring to a detached garage.

You can get a federal tax credit for installing an EV charger only if you live in a nonurban or low-income community census tract, as defined by the IRS. The Argonne National Laboratory offers a mapping tool so that consumers can find out whether they qualify. The credit is generally 30 percent of the cost of the charger, up to $1,000.

Many states and some localities offer tax credits, and many utility companies offer significant rebates on some smart WiFi-connected EV chargers or for home wiring upgrades necessary to install a charger. Check with your local electricity provider to find out what options are available to you. In addition, some car companies will offer a free charger or a discount on charger installation if you purchase a new EV.

All professional electricians should be able to install an EV charger. Some automakers will connect you with a local electrical contractor if you purchase a charger along with the vehicle. As with all home improvement projects, get multiple estimates and compare them to find the best deal.

Make sure that whomever you hire has insurance, a license to work in your state, and the training to complete your specific installation project. 

If your electrician is digging an outdoor trench for an electrical conduit, make sure you call your state’s Dig Safe or Call Before You Dig hotline to have all existing utility lines marked. One of the employees at ATC relied on his electrician’s promise that there weren’t any gas lines nearby only to have to evacuate his home after the electrician hit a gas line during the installation. Fortunately, nobody got hurt, but it could have been a deadly mistake.

Most chargers cost $300 to $800 before any tax credits and are available from online retailers and home stores. Tesla’s chargers are available only from Tesla. We have used chargers from Blink, ChargePoint, Grizzl-E, and Tesla at the CR Auto Test Center and have not had any problems with them.

Blink HQ200 (MSRP $599): Up to 50 amps, smart connectivity, J1772, 23-foot cable.
Available at BlinkCharging

ChargePoint Home Flex (MSRP $549): Up to 50 amps, smart connectivity, available with J1772 or NACS plug, 23-foot cable. 
Available at Amazon, ChargePoint, Home Depot, Lowe’s

Grizzl-E Classic 40a (MSRP $349.99): Up to 40 amps, no smart connectivity, J1772 or NACS, 24-foot cable.
Available at Amazon, Grizzl-E

Grizzl-E Smart 40a (MSRP $395.99): Up to 40 amps, smart connectivity, J1772 or NACS, 25-foot cable.
Available at Amazon, Grizzl-E

Tesla Wall Connector (MSRP $450): Up to 48 amps, smart connectivity, NACS, 24-foot cable.
Available from Tesla

Tesla Universal Wall Connector (MSRP $580): Up to 48 amps, smart connectivity, J1772, 24-foot cable.
Available from Tesla

When shopping for a home charger, consider the following:

Cable length: The length of the charge cable has an impact on where you can mount the EVSE and how easy it is to reach the charge port on the car. Remember that your next EV may have a charging port in a different location, and you’ll want to be able to reach it. Most cables are between 20 and 25 feet long, and we recommend going for the longest you can afford.

Cable management: It’s handy to have a hook to wrap the unused portion of the cable around. Otherwise, if the cable is scattered, it adds clutter in the garage, collects dust, and might cause someone to trip over it. The ability to place the holster for the connector away from the unit might add flexibility in a tight single-car garage. If your connector doesn’t come with a hook, a wall-mounted holder for a garden hose will do the trick and can be found at any hardware store. 

Ease of plugging/unplugging: We like to see a high-quality, substantial coupler that lets you smoothly and effortlessly plug and unplug in and out of the car’s port. A solid and secure holster is an advantage, and it gives you confidence that the coupler will stay secure. One is usually included with top brands. 

Location: Where you install your charger could determine how easy it is to plug in your car and how much the installation costs. If you have to dig a trench for wiring, even a few feet can add hundreds of dollars. Even indoors, you can save money by installing a charger closer to where electrical service already exists. Ideally, you’ll want to install your charger so that a cable can easily reach the car’s charge port whether it’s on the front, rear, left, or right of the vehicle. Otherwise, you might have to drag the cable across the car’s roof. Consult an electrician before getting your heart set on where a charger can go.

Size: Once you’ve determined where a charger should go, measure to see how much space you have. A wide wall charger or a thick one that sticks out far from the wall may encroach on space or your flexibility in placing it in the garage. For instance, a narrow unit might fit on the small strip of wall between two garage doors. 

Ability to delay charging: Many cars allow you to control the charging time from within the car or via an app, so you can benefit from cheaper off-peak electricity costs, depending on your utility company. If your car doesn’t have this feature, consider a charger that does. Note that this functionality may not work if the company that manufactured the charger discontinues support. That’s what happened when the company that made JuiceBox chargers left the U.S. Owners could still charge their cars, but they lost access to the JuiceBox app.

Weatherproofing: For those without a garage, look for a charger that can stand up to inclement weather. Most are claimed to be weatherproof by manufacturers. If you plan to install yours outside, we recommend finding a charger with a NEMA rating of 3, which is a standard set by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association that defines how resistant a product is to environmental hazards. A NEMA 3 rating, which is common on most home chargers, means they’re resistant to nearly all ambient temperatures in addition to the rain, sleet, and snow that the average U.S. consumer would face. The Grizzl-E has a NEMA 4 rating, which means it is even more watertight. Note that a charging cable can become brittle in extremely cold weather.

How Many Amps Do You Need?
The higher the amperage, the faster the charge, but just how fast depends on the electrical system of your car and your home. First, you need to determine how much amperage your home’s electrical system can handle. An electrician can help you figure that out. If possible, we recommend at least a 32-amp charger. Then, check to see what kind of charge your vehicle can accept, a spec that can be found on CR’s vehicle model pages. For instance, a Hyundai Ioniq 5 has an 11 kW onboard charger, so it can benefit from a 48-amp charger. A Toyota bZ4X only has a 6.6 kW onboard charger, so it won’t benefit from charging at higher than 30 amps. Several newer EVs are capable of charging at 60 to 80 amps. For applications above 48 amps, it’s recommended that the EVSE is hardwired as opposed to plugged into an outlet like a clothes dryer. Don’t be swayed by low-priced chargers that might charge less quickly. We recommend avoiding 16-amp chargers entirely. Onboard charger size and amperage information can be found in the Ratings and Specs section for the EV you’re interested in.

Should You Hardwire or Plug In Your Charger?
It depends. A plug-in type benefits from portability. These chargers can be readily replaced as needed, and they’re easy to take with you when you move or even when you’re on vacation if you rent a home. But a plug-in charger may not be able to run at as high an amperage as a hardwired model, so it may charge a little bit slower. Some high-amperage chargers require hardwiring.

Should You Buy a Smart Charger?
Not necessarily. Most EVs allow you to view charging status and get notifications through the car manufacturer’s app, and smart WiFi-connected chargers tend to cost more up front. But many utility companies offer rebates only on WiFi-connected models, which can cover the added expense. 

Do You Have Frequent Power Outages?
If you live in an area that has frequent power outages, charging may not resume once the power is back on, and you could be surprised to find out that your EV isn’t sufficiently charged when you’re ready to drive. Some chargers and vehicles require the user to manually restart the charging session after a power outage. In those situations, it may be helpful to get a smart charger that can send an alert to your phone if charging is interrupted, or buy an EV with a similar feature. If you have a generator for your home, consult an electrician to make sure it can handle charging an EV when the power is out.

Ampere (amp): An amount of electrical current running through a circuit. The amount of amperage your home’s electrical panel has determines how many things can be plugged in and draw current. For example, if your home is older and has a 60-amp fuse box, it may not have enough amperage to power home appliances while charging an EV, and you may need an expensive upgrade to your electrical panel.

EVSE: Electric vehicle supply equipment, the technical term for what most people call a charger. It’s the wall-mounted or stand-mounted unit that supplies 240-volt power to an EV.