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by djanogo 2663 days ago
In TX I got quote for $500-$800 for installing charging panel anywhere I want. I am confused why wouldn't somebody who has a house, and can afford EV car with $7500 credit, not make ONE TIME investment of $1k (US average pricing) to _permanently_ setup house for EV charging?.

Also there is a high chance of pissing neighbors off if you have constant stream of new cars coming into the street, I know me and my neighbors would be, as we have kids playing outside.

3 comments

There are any number of reasons why someone is unable to install a charger at home. Highest on the list is that many people rent, and therefore aren't in a position to install, either because the landlord won't allow it, apartment doesn't have parking, or installing is not affordable/practical.

The other issue that comes up is that anyone with an older home most likely won't have the electrical infrastructure to support a Level 2 EV charger, either because of the existing wiring or because the home is served by a <100A panel.

So that's why many can't make the investment you take for granted.

Our goal is definitely not make this a business for every hosts. We still have hosts that offer help in case of emergencies, and we love them. They are critical for more EV adoptions. Right now, we have hosts that indicate their chargers are open for emergencies only. ampUp also allow hosts to set a sharing schedule, so limiting the sharing hours within 10am and 2pm when kids are at school could hopefully alleviate the concerns there. Or just offer it for emergencies only! :).
Not to mention a lot of utilities will give you rebates for charging equipment. PG&E is now up to an $800 rebate if you switch to their EV plan... that will buy the charger or the install.

It's knowing about all these rates and rebates that's tricky. Dealers should be able to provide you with all this info, but well, that's a whole other story...

Yes, I'm still planning to install a home charger and share it.