ChargePoint now offers installation with the purchase of its Level 2 home EV chargers in the US to simplify the setup process, so I got a quote – here’s how it went.
ChargePoint’s new home EV charger installation program
Customers who buy a ChargePoint Home Flex Level 2 home charger, which costs in the mid- to high $500s before tax credits and rebates, will be able to include a “simple, affordable, and straightforward” home installation with their purchase.
The ChargePoint Home Flex Level 2 charger can be installed indoors or outdoors and features a 23-foot charging cable. It has a ChargePoint mobile app to schedule charging times, adjust charging speed, and get reminders to plug in. Home Flex can also connect with Alexa or Siri.
ChargePoint has partnered with Qmerit, which has the largest network of certified installers in North America and has Schneider Electric as a strategic partner. The “one-stop-shop” program is only available on ChargePoint’s website.
Customers who choose home EV charger installation answer questions and they’re then provided with an immediate quote and installation date. I hypothetically tested it out, because I actually have a Level 2 home ChargePoint charger and wanted to see how the installation price compares to what I paid.
ChargePoint says you answer “three” questions, but there are a lot more questions than that, so I don’t know why ChargePoint makes that claim.
It wanted my address and contact information, and it confirmed whether or not it can provide service in your area. (It can in mine, which is Vermont.) It then asked what the make and model of my EV is. It asked whether I have the car, or when I’m getting the car.
It asked whether I will be installing a wall-mounted or NEMA 14-50 240 volt outlet charger, and whether I have the charger yet or not. I hypothetically opted for wall-mounted and said I don’t have it yet.
It asked whether I rent or own my property; I answered that I own, and that I don’t need HOA approval. I said I have a single family property with detached two-car garage. I told it I wanted it on an interior wall of my detached garage, which has existing power and an electrical sub-panel. I told it I want the charger on the opposite wall to my sub-panel. (That’s where my charger is now.) I told it the distance in feet (30) between the charger and the sub-panel.
It asked where my main electrical panel is (inside my house), and I told the site the electrician could route the wiring along the garage wall. I know my garage sub-panel has capacity for an EV charger, since it’s already been done. I said wifi strength is good. It wanted the square footage of my home, then asked a series of questions about which appliances were running on the system. It asked about solar and battery storage, and a generator.
Then it wanted photos of my panels, and where the EV charger was going to go. Once I submitted the photos, ChargePoint emailed me my preliminary estimate for $1,399:
Electrek’s Take
I had my ChargePoint Level 2 hardwired charger installed in December 2022, and the electrician charged me $920. Taking inflation into account, that installation would have cost me $977 today.
So, ChargePoint’s price ended up being over $400 higher than what I paid. It makes me wonder why it’s not offering bundles or special deals to be more competitive.
The nice thing about ChargePoint’s new streamlined service is that your electrician has been vetted, but you have to do all the initial online work, which took me around 30 minutes, and it would probably take even longer for someone that was new to EVs and wasn’t familiar with their electrical system.
Shopping around for more than one quote before choosing someone to install your home EV charger would probably be the most budget-savvy thing to do.
Read more: Tesla NACS cables are showing up on ChargePoint EV chargers
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