Utah adds electric vehicles faster than it adds electrical capacity, and that gap lands on the garage wall. Here is how home charging installs actually work, what decides the price, and the one decision that most often saves people a panel upgrade.
Level 1, Level 2, and what you actually need
Level 1 is the cord that came in the trunk plugged into a normal outlet. It adds roughly three to five miles of range an hour. For a plug-in hybrid or a 20-mile commute it is genuinely fine. Level 2 runs on 240 volts and adds 20 to 40 miles an hour, which is what most people picture when they say "charger."
The amperage mistake
People ask for the fastest charger available, which usually means a 48 amp unit on a 60 amp circuit. Then the load calculation says the panel cannot carry it and they are quoted a service upgrade on top. But a 32 amp charger left plugged in overnight adds well over 200 miles by morning. Unless you drive enormous daily mileage or share one charger between two cars on tight turnaround, 32 or 40 amps covers it — and it often fits the existing panel with no upgrade at all.
Plug or hardwire?
- NEMA 14-50 outlet. Unplug and take it with you when you move. Limited to 40 amp charging. Needs GFCI protection, which adds a little cost.
- Hardwired. Required above 40 amps, cleaner for outdoor installs, more weather-tight, and the only sensible route for a Tesla Wall Connector mounted outside.
What makes an install expensive
Distance and obstacles, mostly. A charger on the wall directly behind the panel is a few hours. A charger on a detached garage 90 feet away across a lawn means trenching, conduit and a sub panel. Finished basements between the panel and the garage add fishing time. Older homes with full panels may need a sub panel or a service upgrade first.
Load calculation comes first
A proper load calculation looks at your service size, the existing connected load and the new charger, then tells you what the panel can carry. It takes us minutes and it decides whether you are buying a charger install or a charger install plus a panel upgrade. Anyone who quotes an EV charger without asking what else is in the panel is guessing.
Multi-car households and load sharing
Two EVs do not automatically mean twice the electrical work. Many chargers support load sharing, where two units split a single circuit and negotiate between themselves overnight. It is cheaper than two dedicated circuits and, for cars that sit still all night, invisible in practice.
Workplaces and apartment buildings
Commercial EVSE is its own project — metering, access control, cable management and future capacity all matter more than raw speed. Our commercial electricians handle those, usually phased so the parking lot never fully closes.
Booking an install
Tell us the car, the charger if you have bought one, the panel rating and where you want the unit, and we can usually quote from photos. Call (888) 633-7804. We install across Utah, including Lehi, Sandy and St. George.