If you’ve been considering installing a home electric vehicle (EV) charger, you’ve no doubt been overwhelmed with a variety of choices you have to make. What charging current Level do you want to install? What brand should you go with? Where on your property do you want to install it? What, if any, additional features do you want included with it?
Another important thought that might have crossed your mind is determining the best time of year to move forward with this project.
Many people might think that spring or summer would be the best time to install an EV charger at home, but there are seven great reasons why the fall months make for a better season for an installation.
The mild temperatures during late September, October, November and even early December make it more comfortable to perform this work. Spring can be rainy and wet, with lots of mud. In some regions, there’s still a chance for snow even into May. Meanwhile, the summer months come with extreme heat and humidity, which can make the outside work uncomfortable or even unbearable.
Depending on where you decide to install your home charging station, there’s a good chance you’ll have to make some significant changes to your landscaping. Making the installation during the spring or summer can leave some lingering unsightliness with your lawn or flowers that can take the rest of the season to overcome.
During autumn, most of your property’s vegetation and grass is dormant for the season. This means there’s less chance for potential landscaping damage, and it clears the way for your landscaping to come back in full bloom the next spring.
Since many people opt to undertake outdoor property upgrades during the spring and summer, it can cut into the availability of materials and services.
Pushing back your installation until autumn frees up this availability. This can help you with your personal project completion timeline, as you won’t have to wait as long for necessary materials and services to open up.
Late spring and summer typically mean lots of gatherings and parties that take place outdoors. From graduations and get-togethers to holiday and birthday parties, there’s always an excuse to have people over to celebrate and have fun.
Installing an at-home charging station during the spring and summer months can interfere with these options, and could potentially mean having to cancel a party or barbeque. But you can avoid this problem by undertaking the project in autumn when the likelihood of outdoor gatherings is closer to nonexistent.
Along with fewer outdoor gatherings, people also tend to have more flexible schedules during the fall. Other than Thanksgiving later in the season, there are no major holidays in autumn that require additional planning, shopping or other time-consuming activities. Plus, the summer is prime time for vacations and other adventures and activities.
With more scheduling flexibility, you have more freedom to carve out the necessary time it takes to go ahead with a home-charging station installation.
Installing a home EV charger can be a complicated process and it can leave you disorganized, especially if there’s too much happening in your life, which tends to be the case for many people during the summer. There’s just always so much to do, and too little time.
But things tend to settle down in autumn, and everyone gets back into more of a routine following their busy summers. With fewer holidays and more schedule flexibility, people also tend to have more time to focus in the fall. This can help you eliminate distractions and concentrate on the task at hand: installing your home EV charging station.
For those who live in cooler climates, nothing’s worse than having to get into a freezing cold car first thing in the morning. Installing your at-home charger during fall fully prepares you to not only have your car charged in the morning but also have it started and warmed up before you get in.
Whether you plan on a DIY approach or you intend to hire a contractor to install your home EV charging station, don’t forget to account for these seasonal factors that can affect the project.
Mild temperatures and a relatively clear schedule are just some of the reasons why autumn is a great time to have a charging station installed.
Contact the experts at Webasto to learn more.
Sources:
https://www.energy.gov/eere/electricvehicles/charging-home
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/buying-and-installing-a-home-electric-vehicle-charging-station
https://www.energysage.com/electric-vehicles/charging-your-ev/install-a-home-charging-station/