Solved

Can I install an internal Electric Vehicle (EV) charger inside my garage (with an external connection)?

  • 22 February 2022
  • 4 replies
  • 288 views

Hi,

I’m getting an EV home charger installed soon (untethehered) and I’m looking at where to place it.

 

Ideally, I want it inside the garage rather than outside on public view. This causes a little headscratching as to how to actually use the charging cable.

 

What I have ‘dreamt up’ is shown below:

  • Charger is on the wall inside the garage
  • There will be 2 Type 2 cables available to plug-in (not at the same time)
  • One cable will exit the left hand side wall
  • The other will, after routing the cable, exit the right hand side wall
  • On the outside I want to fit a ‘port’ (similar to what is pictured - although I used a photo editor to make it) - which I’d like to be a small unit that is very unobtrusive

 

 

I know that I’ll have to go into the garage to plug in the correct cable (left side/right side) but I would rather do that than have the wall charger itself on just one side externally. This way I have options on which side to use depending on whether we have visitors/another EV in a year or 2.

 

My questions are:

  1. Has anyone done/installed anything like this?
  2. What was the additional cost over and above the basic/standard fitting?
  3. What was used on the outside wall to plug the type 2 cable into (needs to be sealed/sheltered/protected)? It needs to be rigidly surface mounted (an hopefully angled downwards slightly)

 

Thanks in advance for any advice/opinions.

icon

Best answer by ArundaleP 23 February 2022, 09:03

View original

4 replies

Userlevel 6
Badge +3

I think you may struggle with getting this done. The electrical regs have changed a lot in the last few years regarding ev chargers.

I like your thinking but you may need two externally mounted chargers (which can load match if required). The earthing rules for charging a vehicle in a garage or outside are different and made more complicated by having a charger in a garage, charging a car outside. 

I would contact a few charger install companies and get their opinion/ prices.

 

Thanks for the information ArundaleP.

 

I’ll discuss this with the installation company when they do a home survey. If it can’t be done then I’ll have to live with it being visible outside (and look to getting it ‘boxed’ with some cladding or similar) - and only on one side of the garage.

Userlevel 6
Badge

I am not quite sure what you want to do. A “charger” is just a socket with a bit of protective electronics around it. Why do you need two cables? Do you want to charge in two places?

The standard does not allow of extensions, sockets etc - just a straight cable from the charge point to the car. And I would always recommend to go tethered if possible: that is more convenient and less to go wrong. 

Userlevel 6
Badge +3

@theyellowkimono  how did you get on? 

Reply