Is Your Home Equipped to Recharge Your Electric Vehicle? But what about your garage? Shouldn't you be able to charge up your Electric Vehicle at home? With the growth of both the battery-electric-vehicle (BEV) and the plug-in-hybrid-electric-vehicle (PHEV) markets, nationwide plans for an on-the-road electric vehicle infrastructure of charging stations are well on their way.

Even if your home and garage were built in the last twenty years, it may still take some electrical contracting work to satisfy not only the needs for a system to charge an electric car, but also the local building and electrical codes.

What do you need in your garage to set up a way to power-up electric vehicles?

First of all, at the least, you will need a dedicated 120 volt circuit in the garage that's rated for 12 amps -- 15 amps would be even better. Don't plan on using that circuit for anything else. Level 1 charging works directly off a 120V outlet -- if you want to install a Level 2 charging station, you will need a 240 volt circuit rated at 20 amps. If you're handy around the home, you can save money by running the wires and conduit yourself -- have a certified electrician look it all over and let the electrician hook up the power.

The standard electrical input on US electric cars is the J1772 receptacle. Level 1 charging does not require a station, but only needs a cable with a standard or NEMA plug on one end and a plug for the receptacle on the other. Level 2 240V charging stations, permanently coupled to an AC outlet, with a cable that plugs into the J1772 receptacle, are not DIY jobs -- they are usually installed by a manufacturer's own technicians.

Let's take a quick look at two related models of electrical vehicles available in the US, the Nissan Leaf a battery-electric-vehicle (BEV) and the Chevrolet Volt plug-in-hybrid-electric-vehicle (PHEV) , and at the issues related to charging for each of these vehicles.

The Leaf is all electric with no gasoline motor. A single full-charge will take you one hundred miles. A 120V charge from plugging into a dedicated circuit will take sixteen hours to replenish the lithium-ion batteries of the Leaf -- a 240V station will take eight hours. Because some US utilities will charge less for consumption from the power grid at low-peak hours, the charging circuitry of the Leaf has a timer that lets you set the date/time for charging.

For on-the-road charging, the Leaf has a Portable Trickle Charge Cable that can plug into any 110/120V outlet for an emergency charge to get back home -- be aware that's this cable has fuses which may blow when connected to a power level higher than 12 amps. So, don't use that cable at home on the garage's 15 amp circuit -- install a 12 amp circuit if you plan to charge the Leaf that way.

To assist new Leaf owners, Nissan is working with the AeroVironment Company to install Level 2 charging stations. AeroVironment recommends the 240V station at a cost of around $2000 when purchased through a Nissan dealership -- the company installs the station for a $100 "assessment fee."

The Chevrolet Volt is a combination vehicle, with a small gasoline engine and a battery pack smaller than the one for the Leaf. Though this means you still pay for gas at a fueling station, it also means you pay less for the electrical charge-up of the vehicle and you can still drive around when there's no charge in the batteries. Fully charging the Volt on a 120V circuit takes ten hours; the 240V station takes around five hours. Just like other electric smart cars, charge time can be set to start later in the evening or overnight.

GM suggests new Volt owners try out the 120V charging system first before considering a purchase of the 240V system. The 240V charging station for the Volt is available from GM for just under $500. The minimum install cost is $1500, but may be more if electrical modifications are needed. Expect to pay around $2000 .

No matter which vehicle you select, your choice of a 120V or 240V station depends entirely on how far you drive each day and how long your car sits between drives. You may not always need a full charge on your EV if you only drive twenty to thirty miles a day.

Currently, the Federal government provides an income tax credit of 30% of the cost of purchasing and installing a home station for charging cars, up to a max of $1000. In the future, it may become standard procedure to install 240V/40-amp circuits into garages for charging electrical cars. Building codes may change to make such installs mandatory. Many home builders tending toward green construction are already doing such work.