Installing an EV charger

Finding the right charger is a combination of your specific needs, your home’s electrical system and the ability of your neighbourhood’s network to deliver the power.

If you live in a single-family home

Contact a certified electrician before you purchase a charger. They can help recommend which charger can work with your current electrical set up and services to your home. Your electrician should complete a load calculation to determine whether your current panel can handle the addition of an EV charger.

If your home does not have sufficient electricity supply for the EV charger of your choice, there are several options you can explore for EV charging in your home, including considering a less powerful charger, an EV Energy Management System, or upgrading the main electrical service to your home.

If the wires that supply electricity to your home are above ground, service upgrades should be covered by ENMAX. You will be charged a disconnect/reconnect fee ($300).

Upgrades to buried wires on your property need to be paid for by the homeowner and can be expensive. If you have an underground service, we recommend investigating other, cost-effective ways to integrate EV charging into your home, before you commit to a service upgrade.

If you live in an apartment or condominium

Contact your landlord or condominium board before purchasing or installing a charger. They will typically need to approve any installations or may be considering adding chargers.

If you cannot install an EV charger at your condo, you can consider the following:

Use a Level 1 or trickle charger using 120V outlet to trickle charge your vehicle
If possible, see if public charging locations are available in your area.

Connect with right charger

Knowing your options when it comes to selecting a charger is a key to helping make sure you find the right combination of efficiency and affordability relative.

Level one chargers

You can charge your vehicle with a standard extension cord and 120V outlet.

Cost:
n/a

Full Charging Time:
Battery EV: 12 to 20 hours
Plug-in hybrid: 6 to 12 hours

Level two chargers

Can connect to a 240-volt outlet, similar to your oven or clothes dryers. These are commonly used for at-home charging by EV drivers and can also be found at public places like shopping malls or parkades.

Cost:
Level 2 chargers start at around $800. The prices vary depending on the size and features of the charger. (not including upgrades or installation

Full Charging Time:
Battery EV: 6 to 14 hours
Plug-in hybrid: 4 to 8 hours

Level two chargers may require an electrical panel upgrade, or possibly a service upgrade depending on where you live.

DC Fast Charging (level three charging)

These are the chargers you see in public areas or businesses like a gas station.

Cost:
DC Fast chargers start around $40,000 (not including upgrades or installation)

Time:

Battery EV: 30 minutes to 1 hour

Plug-in hybrid: 15 minutes to 1 hour

DC Fast chargers draw significantly more power than other types of charging. They can be connected to existing sites, or as stand-alone sites with their own metering and utility connection. We recommend touching base with your on-site electrician or electrical contractor to determine what makes the most sense for your site

Ways to manage EV charger demand

Before making costly changes around your home or your electricity services to accommodate an EV charger’s additional demand consider these solutions.

Consider a less powerful charger

Selecting a small charger that can be supplied from the existing electrical system in your home is the lowest-cost solution, as it eliminates the need for upgrades or additional technologies. This could look like purchasing a 30 amp charger instead of a 50 amp charger. Although a smaller charger will charge your vehicle more slowly, we estimate that the average driver will require fewer than three hours of charging per night.

Manage your energy use

An EV energy management system (approx. cost $1,200) adjusts the power fed to your charger and balances it with your other appliances and demand so that you stay within the limits of your current electrical service. We recommend reaching out to your electrician for a quote of current prices.

The City of Calgary has a useful information sheet for you and your electrician about EV energy management systems.

Upgrades and EV charging resources

EV information:

Public charging location maps:

Chargers and condominiums:

Plugndrive

Reach out to us early

While we can’t recommend one charger over another, we’re happy to answer your questions and share what we know. Please complete the form linked below, and a member of our team with get in touch with you.

getconnected@enmax.com

Customers are free to purchase natural gas services or electricity services from a retailer of their choice. For a list of retailers, visit ucahelps.alberta.ca or call 310-4822 (toll free in Alberta).

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