As global EV adoption grows, drivers are discovering the benefits of electric cars, including the flexibility and convenience of charging at home. Unsurprisingly, the home is the most popular EV charging location, with 65% of current EV drivers in the UK regularly charging at home.
However, charging at home is still a new experience for many, and can raise several doubts, such as whether you need a home charging station to specifically charge at home. But, because purchasing an EV is already a considerable expense, having to buy a home EV charger as well– and knowing how much it costs – can be a major worry.
This article explores the average costs of an EV home charger by breaking down and examining the factors that impact the total price.
How much does a charging station cost?
So let’s get straight to the point. While the cost of home EV chargers varies greatly and there are a lot of brands, generally, today’s price tag tends to range between €670 and €1,600.
With a difference of nearly €1,000.- in that estimation, you might be wondering where this price difference comes from. So, to give you a more precise indication, we’ll discuss below the different features and functions that generally impact the total price of a home EV charger.
What determines the price of an home EV charger?
Ultimately, you will likely find that the price of a home EV charger depends on your needs and requirements. For instance, the desired charging speed, connectivity, potential smart functionalities, and installation costs are some of the main factors impacting an EV home charger’s overall price.
The charging speed of your home EV charger
One of the most important factors to consider when purchasing an EV home charger, and one of the main determinants of its price, is charging speed.
As a rule, the higher the power, the more energy a home EV charger will be able to deliver to your car, and the faster its battery will be charged.
How fast an EV home charger can charge a car depends on its power output: typically, for home EV chargers, this can be either 7.4, 11, or 22 kilowatts (kW). In practice, a home EV charger’s maximum power output can be limited by your home’s electrical circuit and location.
As you can imagine, the more powerful an EV home charger is, the more it will usually cost. But you should consider that opting for the fastest home EV charger option isn't always necessary, depending on your charging behaviour.
For example, if you commute with your EV during the day and charge overnight, a “slow” 7.4 kW EV home charger can still charge your medium-size EV to 80 percent in less than 8 hours.
Actual charging times vary greatly between vehicles, but the table below gives an overview of charging speeds for different battery sizes. For context, the average EV nowadays has a 64.2 kWh battery and an average range of 212 miles.
How long does it take to charge an EV?
| Type of EV | Small EV | Medium EV | Large EV |
| Average battery size (right)
Power Output | 25kWh | 50kWh | 75kWh |
| 7.4 kW | 3h 45min | 7h 45min | 10h |
| 11 kW | 2h | 5h 15min | 6h 45min |
| 22 kW | 1h | 3h | 4h 30min |
Approximate time to charge the battery from 20 percent to 80 percent state of charge (SoC). For illustrative purposes only: Does not reflect exact charging times, and some vehicles will not be able to handle certain power inputs.
The connectivity of your home EV charger
Another common feature in many modern home EV chargers is connectivity.
A connected EV home charger enables real-time communication between the charging station, the EV driver, the car, and even the maintenance and service provider.
Connectivity is in fact, a means to many ends as the communication unlocks many different possibilities, such as managing your charging sessions via a charging app, receiving over-the-air updates, using smart charging features, or getting access to remote support.
Because of the advantages connectivity has to offer, governments are pushing towards mandating connectivity in charging stations, and setting it as a standard for new EV home charging station sales. This is, for example, already the case in the UK, where charging stations are mandated to have connected capability since June 2022.
Often, purchasing a connected EV home charging station will be more expensive than opting for a non-connected one, but its useful features allowing you to manage your charging sessions can offset the additional initial cost. Next to this, as connectivity is becoming the new standard, it might not be wise to invest in a non-connected home EV charger.
The smart charging features of your home EV charger
While smart charging is enabled thanks to connectivity, it is its own thing entirely.
Smart charging (also known as intelligent charging) is a term that refers to a range of features. In layman’s terms and without getting too technical, smart charging allows you to monitor, manage, and optimise the charging process and your energy usage.
Many chargers today are capable of smart features that can further enhance the user experience and improve energy efficiency.
While smart EV chargers generally cost extra, the added convenience and energy savings can often justify the cost in the long run.
What distinguishes a smart home EV charger is its set of features, such as dynamic load balancing and sustainable energy integration. These can unlock greater control over the EV charging process, allowing you, for example, to schedule charging sessions when electricity is cheaper and ensure the charging process is optimised, preventing power overloads.
Of course, it’s worth considering that not every smart EV home charging station has all the aforementioned features, so it’s important to choose the one that best meets your needs. However, as smart charging is continuously developing, many features can be added or upgraded at a later stage through software updates, making a smart home EV charger a good investment for the future.
The type of connector of your home EV charger
One of the main differentiating factors between EV home chargers is whether they have a built-in cable or just a socket. Indeed, many EV home charger feature simple sockets into which you can plug your own cable. Generally, a home EV charger with a socket will be cheaper as you don’t have to pay for the cable, although you will need to remember to bring your cable with you to be able to use it.
The length of the charging cable
For EV home chargers with built-in charging cables, their length is an important factor that impacts the price considerably. Typically, EV home charging stations come equipped with 5 to 10-meter cables, although home EV chargers with 3 or even 1-meter cables are also available for tight parking spaces. The longer the cable, the more expensive the EV home charging station tends to be.
Having a single or double socket
Another important physical factor that influences a EV home charger's price is the number of sockets or charging cables, that it has. Indeed, while most home EV charger come with a single socket, some can have two sockets built into one EV home charging station, allowing it to charge two EVs at the same time.
As you might expect, adding a socket generally increases the price by quite a bit, as the home EV charging station will need to carry twice the power, making it considerably more complex. A home EV charger with two sockets may not be relevant if you only have one EV, however, it can be an attractive option if you own two or more, as it can spare you the need to purchase a second, entirely separate EV home charging station (and streamline installation).
The installation costs of your home EV charger
Finally, beyond the cost of the EV home charger itself, one of the main expenses when buying one is installation. Indeed, because of the high power loads, a home EV charger is designed to deliver, it needs to be specially wired into your home’s electrical circuit and usually connected directly to your meter box. This requires work by an electrician, which, depending on your meter box setup, type of charger, and required power output, can add hundreds or even thousands to the total cost.
Given how important installation is, it’s worth looking out whether it is included in your home EV charger’s retail price – if not, you’ll need to factor in the additional cost it might bring.
Government incentives for EV home charging stations
So far, we’ve discussed the technical aspects and features that impact a EV home charger’s retail cost. However, a major factor that can affect the total cost of a EV home charging station is the availability of any government incentives.
Next to the EU, many governments around the world see electric mobility as the future and aim to accelerate its development by offering grants, tax benefits, and subsidies for the installation of EV infrastructure. Homeowners can benefit from this as well when installing a home EV charger, and government benefits can significantly lower the cost of buying a EV home charger.
For example, the UK offers a grant that covers up to 75% of the cost of buying and installing a EV home charging station for home use, while the US allows homeowners to claim a 30% tax credit up to $1,000 on purchase and installation costs.
Installing an EV home charger is a meaningful decision and a considerable investment. As such, it’s worth considering what features you need from your charger and how these will impact its cost. It’s also good to check whether there are any government incentives that you can leverage to reduce the total cost.
If you’re looking to purchase an EV home charging station or want to explore the available options, have a look at our EV home charger solutions.