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EV Charger Installation
Level 2 and Tesla Wall Connector installs: a panel check, a dedicated 240-volt circuit and the permit. Free quotes from a family-owned Belleville electrician.
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Licensed and insured | Family owned | Free quotes | Office Mon to Fri, 7 am to 5 pm
3D Electric handles EV Charger Installation for homes across Southeast Michigan, from the first panel check to the final test with your car plugged in. We are a family-owned, licensed and insured electrical contractor based in Belleville, with about two decades in the trade. Our EV Charger Installation service plans the charger, the dedicated circuit, the permit and the inspection as one job, with one written estimate.
Most home jobs are Level 2 chargers on a 240-volt circuit in the garage or on an outside wall. The charger is the simple part. Whether your panel can carry a new long-running load decides how the job goes and what it costs, so we start there. EV charging is one of the electrical services we offer homeowners and businesses, and the steps below show what to expect.
Lectro's tip
Before the quote visit, jot down your daily miles and snap a photo of your panel label. Those two things tell us how big the circuit really needs to be.
Level 1 vs Level 2 EV Charging
Level 1 is the cord that comes with most electric cars. It plugs into a regular 120-volt outlet and adds only a few miles of range per hour. That can work for a short daily commute. It falls behind fast if you drive more, or if the car sits on a cold Michigan night and needs the battery warmed.
Level 2 runs on 240 volts, the same kind of circuit as an electric dryer or range. Depending on the car and the charger, it adds several times more range per hour. Most drivers plug in after work and start the morning full.
Type | Power | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|
Level 1 | 120 volts, standard outlet | Short commutes, plug-in hybrids, backup charging |
Level 2 | 240 volts, dedicated circuit | Most homes with a full electric car |
DC fast charging | Large commercial service | Highway stops and public lots, not houses |
Who should install Level 2
If you drive more than about 40 miles a day, own two electric cars, or own a truck or SUV with a large battery, Level 2 is the practical choice. If you are unsure, tell us your daily miles and we will tell you honestly whether a 120-volt outlet is enough.
What a Level 2 EV Charger Installation Includes
A Level 2 charger is a continuous load. It can pull full current for hours, every night. The electrical code treats it that way, and so do we.
A dedicated 240-volt circuit
The charger gets its own breaker and its own wire back to the panel. Nothing else shares that circuit.
Breaker and wire sized to the charger
Because charging is a continuous load, the circuit is rated at 125 percent of the charger's output. Common pairings:
Charger output | Circuit breaker |
|---|---|
32 amps | 40 amps |
40 amps | 50 amps |
48 amps | 60 amps |
The charger's installation manual sets the final wire size, breaker and mounting rules. We follow it and the code your community enforces.
Hardwired or plug-in
Some chargers are wired straight to the circuit. Others plug into a 240-volt outlet, most often a NEMA 14-50. Hardwired units have no plug to wear and can run at higher amperage. A plug-in charger is easier to swap or take with you when you move. If you choose an outlet, we use an industrial-grade receptacle, because hours of charging every night is hard on cheap ones. Recent code editions also call for GFCI protection on many garage and outdoor outlets, which the inspector checks.
Mounting, testing and setup
We mount the charger where the cable reaches the charge port without stretching, protect the wire run in conduit where needed, and use outdoor-rated fittings outside. Then we test the circuit, set the charger to match the breaker and watch it charge before we leave.
Will Your Panel Handle an EV Charger?
This is the question that matters most. A 48-amp charger on a house with 100-amp service, an electric range and central air can push the panel past what it was built for. We run a load calculation that counts the charger along with everything the house already uses.
Three common answers
Yes, with room to spare. Many 200-amp panels have the capacity and an open space. The job is a circuit and a charger.
Yes, at a lower setting. Most chargers can be set to draw less current. A 32-amp setting still refills most cars overnight and may avoid other work.
Not yet. The panel is full, outdated or too small for the new load. The quote says so before any work starts.
Load management
Some chargers and add-on devices watch the home's total use and slow charging when the dryer or air conditioner runs. That can let a charger fit on a service that would otherwise need an upgrade.
When the panel or service needs work
If the panel is the problem, our electrical panel upgrade page explains how that job goes. If the whole service is too small, a 200 amp service upgrade may come first. While the panel is open, it is also a sensible time to add whole house surge protection, which helps guard the charger's electronics and the rest of the house.
Tesla Wall Connector Installation and Other Brands
Our own job photos include a Tesla Wall Connector in a garage, a Ford charger on vinyl siding, a JuiceBox and other wall-mounted Level 2 units. Electrically, they are the same kind of load. Each has a maximum output and an installation manual that sets the circuit it needs.
Tesla Wall Connector
The Wall Connector is hardwired. It can deliver up to 48 amps on a 60-amp circuit, and during setup it is told the size of the breaker feeding it, so it never draws more than the circuit allows. Two Tesla drivers in one house can share one circuit between two Wall Connectors with the power-sharing feature.
Other chargers
Ford, Rivian, ChargePoint, JuiceBox and other makers sell Level 2 units in similar sizes. If you have not bought one yet, call us first. The charger you choose can change the wire size and the breaker, and sometimes whether the panel needs work.
Where the Charger Goes
Most home chargers go in an attached garage, on the wall nearest the car's charge port. The shorter the run from the panel, the simpler the job. A panel in the garage is the easiest case. A panel in a finished basement on the far side of the house takes more planning.
Outdoor and driveway chargers
A charger on the outside wall needs an outdoor-rated unit and weatherproof fittings. Mount it high enough to stay clear of snow piles and the shovel.
Detached garages and pole barns
A detached garage may need a buried feeder and a small subpanel. That means trenching and conduit, which we plan as part of the same estimate.
EV Charger Installation Cost Factors
No two EV charger jobs cost the same, so we quote each one for free after we see the house. These are the things that move the price:
The distance from the panel to the parking spot, and what the wire passes through
Whether the panel has the capacity and an open breaker space
The charger's amperage, which sets the wire and breaker size
Hardwired charger or 240-volt outlet
Finished walls, outdoor mounting or trenching to a detached garage
Any panel or service upgrade the load calculation calls for
The permit and inspection
Permits and inspection
A new 240-volt circuit generally needs an electrical permit and an inspection from your township or city building department. Confirm current requirements for your address. We handle the electrical permit as part of the job.
Utility programs
DTE Energy serves most of our area. Utilities change their EV rate plans and incentive programs often, so ask your utility about current programs before you buy a charger. Financing is available for the electrical work.
Local pages
For local details, see EV charger installation in Belleville, EV charger installation in Ann Arbor and EV charger installation in Ypsilanti. When you are ready, request a free EV charger estimate and tell us the car, the charger and where you park.
Related pages
Local details for Belleville and Van Buren Township
Local details for Ann Arbor homes
Local details for Ypsilanti homes
When the panel can't carry a charger
More capacity for the whole house
Protect the charger and appliances
Frequently Asked Questions
Often yes, but it depends on the service size, free breaker spaces and what else the house runs. A load calculation answers it. If the panel needs work first, the written estimate says so before any work starts.
The breaker is sized at 125 percent of the charger's output because charging is a continuous load. A 32-amp charger needs a 40-amp breaker, a 40-amp charger needs 50 amps and a 48-amp charger needs 60 amps. The charger's manual sets the final size.
Yes. The Wall Connector is a hardwired Level 2 charger, and we size the circuit, mount it and set it to match the breaker. We also install chargers from other makers.
You can, but it helps to call us first. The charger's amperage sets the wire and breaker size, and the right model can depend on what your panel allows.
Both work. A hardwired charger has no plug to wear out and can run at higher amperage. A 14-50 outlet lets you swap the charger or take it with you, and it needs a heavy-duty receptacle and GFCI protection.
A new 240-volt circuit generally needs an electrical permit and an inspection. Your township or city building department sets the rules, so confirm current requirements for your address. We include the electrical permit in the job.