Only 54% of EV owners know about home charger rebates — survey

For electric vehicle owners, figuring out the right charging method, installing a charger at home, and navigating the available government or utility rebates can be overwhelming, according to a HomeServe survey of 500 EV owners. Home repair and improvement company HomeServe operates in the UK, US, Canada, France, Spain, and Japan.

The survey found that the vast majority of electric car owners (88%) charge their EVs at home, and the choice of charging method for most is a Level 2 charger (75%). But when it comes to setting up and installing home charging, it is less clear for vehicle owners, with 29% of survey respondents expecting their electric utility to assist, and 27% believing that vehicle manufacturers should help.

While many electric utilities provide rebates and incentives for customers to purchase electric vehicles and install chargers at home, only 54% of owners surveyed were aware of a rebate or incentive from their provider. Of those who were aware, 84% took advantage of the program. This suggests that if more people were aware of such offers, more would take advantage of them.

Luis Quiroga, SVP of product for HomeServe, told Electrek:

I purchased a Tesla Model 3 about two years ago. While the excitement grew that my new Tesla would be delivered in a few weeks, a harsh reality set in. How do I go about charging at home? As an early adopter, I didn’t mind digging in and figuring out what Level 2 charger installation entailed and whether the utility had any incentives for me to charge at home. I also didn’t mind calling Tesla’s recommended installers and negotiating a good price for my installation.

What’s surprising today is that the experience hasn’t evolved that much. We looked at both OEMs and retailers and found that the customer experience remains fragmented, with the onus placed on the customer to figure it out. Our market research confirms this story.

Much like your refrigerator, an EV charger is a critical appliance that customers will want to be sure is always up and running.

We at Electrek often write about some of the best home chargers, such as in this May 30 article by our publisher, Seth Weintraub, which compared the higher-end Enel X JuiceBox ($599) and ChargePoint Home Flex ($699).

Do you have a home charger and installation experience you would recommend, or did you get a great rebate others should know about? Let us know in the comments below!