Level 1 chargers use standard 110 VAC, 15 amp outlets. No need to ask about that. They also only charge at about 3 miles per hour. Level 2 chargers are a lot more useful. Ask the electrician to quote installing a NEMA 14-50 outlet in your garage. The closer to the main panel, the better. You could also ask for a quote to hardwire a Level 2 charger. This will be more expensive.
Ah Belgium… 3 phase 400V coming in my house. Regular installations 2 phase 220/240V. I have no problem Running a 11 kWh charger. Best is to ask him to increase your installation with one dedicated breaker for a phase 2 charger (possibly connected with your PV installation.)
What size is your service/panel? 100 or 200 amp. Level 1 you will have no issues, it uses a standard outlet…it’s just really slow and inefficient.
For a level 2
“Can I get a quote for a 50 amp outlet in the garage directly below the panel”. (If the main panel is on the garage wall) that’s all you have to ask him.
Is the 50 amp outlet for a level 1 or level 2 charger?
Level 2. If you want no worries…just get the level 2 installed. Charge it when ever you need at night when rates are the cheapest and you’re good to go.
Level 1 is just a normal outlet that you already have.
Ask about whether or not you have room in your breaker to support a level 2 charge
What specifically would I need to tell him? I doubt he knows off the bat what kind of power the level 2 charger would need
240volt charging station. But specifically does your panel have enough space to install it (it’s like installing another washer/dryer machine) you need to have enough space in you panel to accommodate that size breaker.
The main issues I had with my house was 1) I had not available space on my panel so a new panel would have to be installed and 2) my panel was on the other side of the house from where the install would have been so would have cost a fortune to run the cables.
Just to add to this, If you don’t drive a ton, level 1 might be perfectly fine for you. I work from home and only average about 100 miles a week. Level 1 is perfect for me. If you drive more than you can charge overnight, then you’ll need level 2.
It will mostly be used by my husband. His commute is about 25 miles round trip but we also live in a mountainous climate with very cold winters. He would be parking outside during the day at work. Not sure if he can plug in at work. Most nights he could charge in the garage from 8pm to 8 am, which stays at about 40F on the coldest nights.
I used to get by on 16amp L1 charging… 70 mile round trip in the flat upper mid-west. I’d run a little deficit every night but make up on the weekend.
I later installed a 240v circuit for the same 16A portable charger and that’s plenty for me.
50A chargers can be nice… like if you run the car all the way down on a road trip and you need to put some mileage on it the next day… but it’s probably overkill for most people.
Consider this… I normally only run between 50-80% charge. My 16A portable charger will replace 5% an hour at L2 (240V). That’s probably plenty for your needs too… but if you put a 30A L2 in… you’d get around 10% battery capacity per hour… and that’s a full recharge over night.