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A Quarter of US EV Drivers Skip Electricians to Install Their Own High-Voltage Home Charging Stations

Surprising finding from PlugShare Research based on a study of 3,534 US EV drivers

El Segundo | Oct 21, 2020

A new in-depth report from PlugShare Research found that 25.5% of electric vehicle (EV) drivers who install “Level 2” high-voltage 208-240V charging stations at home actually tackle the job on their own, rather than using a professional installer. Where typical homeowners might shy away from DIY home electrical work – especially 208-240V tasks – surprisingly large numbers of EV drivers feel self-confident enough to perform these jobs by themselves.

Most of the 1.3MM+ EVs in the US are charged at Level 2 home stations. Installation commonly ranges from hardwiring stations directly to the home electrical system, or installing a 208-240V outlet to a wall or post. It can require installers to modify their electrical panels, run wire and conduit, and even excavate.

“Projects that use higher-voltages, such as 208-240V Level 2 charging stations, are well outside the average person’s comfort zone”, said PlugShare’s Chief Strategy Officer, Norman Hajjar. “But this group is very different. Over 96% of these same drivers have also installed lighting, wall switches, or power outlets at home, so they’re unusually secure with their home electrical know-how”, he added.

Interestingly, while these “DIYers” trust their own skills, they are much more cautious when it comes to encouraging others to give it a try: over 47% disagree that DIY installation is safe to perform for the typical EV driver. But for those who do, there’s a financial benefit: self-installers estimate saving an average of $698 by doing their own work.

The findings come from a just-published PlugShare report, Electric Vehicle Home Charging Station Installation in the United States. Prepared for automakers, utilities, and charging equipment makers, the 27-page report takes a detailed look at the installation process, both for professional installers and “self-installers”, complete with analysis and 46 different data tables. It includes insights from 3524 drivers from PlugShare’s proprietary PlugInsights panel of over 63,000 drivers, the world’s largest.

More information about the PlugShare research report is available here.

ABOUT PLUGSHARE

Based in El Segundo CA, PlugShare maintains the most comprehensive census of EV infrastructure in the world. They make the PlugShare app for iOS, Android, and the Web, the most popular EV driver app globally, in use by most drivers in North America and over 1 million EV drivers worldwide. PlugShare also provides sophisticated data tools, reports, custom consulting and comprehensive research on EVs for automakers, utilities, charging networks, government and the rest of the EV industry. It operates the world's largest EV driver survey research panel, PlugInsights, now with over 63,000 members.