
Buying a new car typically doesn’t require much home preparation: you buy your vehicle, drive it home, and are ready to go! But, if you plan on making your next new vehicle a BMW electric vehicle, there are a few steps you’ll need to take to ensure you have everything set up for your new EV. The main consideration? A home electric vehicle charging station. Having an EV charging station installed in your Raleigh home will make charging your electric vehicle simple and hassle-free. Follow these steps from BMW of Southpoint to prepare your home for an electric vehicle, and be on your way to a new, gas-free driving experience!
There are two main types of electric vehicle charging options available in Cary homes: Level 1 charging and Level 2 charging. Consider which of these charging types you’d rather use to keep your new BMW EV’s range topped up:
If you plan to have a Level 2 home charging station like the BMW Wallbox installed, you’ll need to prepare your garage! Clean out and organize your garage to ensure easy charging and vehicle access.
Every Chapel Hill home has a power panel that distributes electricity throughout the building. Find your power panel and check how much current flow it’s rated for, usually measured in Amperes. Most new homes have a 100 Amp power panel, but your experience may vary.
Once you know how much power your panel is rated for, get a handle on how much electrical energy you use in your day-to-day life. You want to make sure that adding a Level 2 electric vehicle charging station won’t overload your power panel.
After you know how much power you use daily, hire a trusted Durham location out to asses your power consumption and discuss any concerns you may have about adding a Level 2 charger to your home. If your power panel needs upgrading to properly supply power to your new electric BMW, you may need an upgrade. These power panel upgrades usually cost a couple hundred dollars but can go up to $1,000 or $3,000, depending on the situation.
You’re ready to have your new BMW Wallbox or Flexible Fast Charger installed! Hire an electrician or get BMW-recommended installation through Qmerit.
Now that you know how to prepare your home for an electric vehicle, it’s time to find a BMW EV that suits your transportation needs! Browse the electric vehicle inventories at BMW of Southpoint to find a BMW i4 or BMW iX that’s right for you, and then reach out to us to set up a test drive in Durham.