How to Make Your Metal Garage Suitable for An Electric Car?
Almost everyone wants a house with a garage. They are wide-open spaces that help us clean, organize and store some stuff. Not for you to park your cars but for a private place where you can lock anything and everything.
With the arrival of electric cars, garages made some changes to cater to these new vehicles. Some garages are designed to install charge stations, new wiring, and outlets, especially for electric cars, but it still doesn’t comply with the garage electrical code.
From the standpoint of practicality and cost, it is better to have a metal garage. It can quickly improvise for an electric car as well. There are hundreds of metal garages that are the best option for your home and vehicles. Metal garages can be easily converted into a battery charging station for electric cars by using charging stations explicitly built for electric cars.
Whether you have a classic car, sports automobile, or RV, most of us use the garage as a place to store our vehicles. In most cases, garages are designed to protect from the elements while they’re not in use. However, if you’re an electric car owner, you’ve probably wondered how feasible it is to build your metal garage that has been modified for electric vehicles.
Read on to make your metal garage suitable for your electric car.
Having EVSE at Your Garage is Advantageous
Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) is a system that deliveries electricity to recharge an electric vehicle’s batteries. When it comes to electric cars, charging your vehicle at garages is an excellent way to go. It’s not as complex to install a new electric outlet in your garage. The two main advantages are having EVSE at your garage are:
- Convenience: Once you have installed the EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment), you can charge your car anywhere in your garage where an outlet is available. You can charge your vehicle overnight while you sleep, which is better than having to wait for a public charging station to open up to recharge your battery.
- Cost Savings: It’s certainly more cost-effective than having to use a public charging station for every single charge because these stations often charge for the electricity used, whereas recharging your battery at home garage does not incur extra costs.
Preparing Your Metal Garage for Remote Charging
If you already own an electric car, you may want to consider getting one of the remote charging stations installed at your garage. This way, you’ll always have access to a source of electricity when your battery runs low. It’s a good idea to call in a professional electrician as they have the experience, knowledge, and equipment needed to accurately test your garage’s electrical system for safety and capacity.
The electrician will list things required for installing the EVSE system at garages. In addition, the electrician will determine the right place to install, overall circuit loads, and cost to install EVSE.
There are a few things to consider when installing a charging station for your electric car. First, make sure that you have the space for it in your garage. Next, be sure that you’re using the correct circuit breaker to power the outlet and the electrician has installed it correctly. Once the charging station is up and running, it’s essential to keep your car at an optimal temperature, which means having climate control in your garage.
The most important thing to remember when trying to charge an electric car is to ensure that you have enough room and a proper circuit breaker to handle the load.
What’s The Best EVSE Option for You?
Various options are available for EVSE, so you need to select EVSE suitable for your EV when installing a charging station. The overall cost of EVSE consists of installation and other expenses. When choosing the EVSE, ensure a few things such as your budget, car’s model, and how frequently and much you drive your vehicle.
Your charging needs will largely depend on how you charge your vehicle. If you live in a garage with a 240-volt circuit, that may be the best option for you. It is because the 240-volt will speed up the charging of your electric vehicle, but at the same time, it will use more power in half of the time.
On the other hand, when you opt for a 120-volt/12-amp outlet, you will have to spend more timing on charging the vehicle, but at the same time, it will save you money. The 120V outlet is excellent for you if your car is in your garage at night.
Looking For a Garage for Your Electric Vehicle?
When building or renovating your garages, you have to make sure that the structure is solid and durable. There are a lot of materials available in the market, and it cannot be easy to choose the best one. You can opt for a metal garage because it comes with many benefits.
Here are some of the main benefits:
- Fire-Resistant: Metal garages do not readily catch fire like other materials such as wood, brick, and concrete because it does not easily ignite when exposed to heat. In addition, there is a minimum chance of fire outbreak in these garages due to the presence of no flammable substances.
- Security: The benefit of having a metal garage is that it provides better protection for your car than any other type of garage structure. This kind of shelter protects your vehicle from vandalism and theft because intruders cannot make their way into the garage without doors being opened by you.
- Durable and Sturdy: A metal garage is made from galvanized steel. It is not just a regular garage made from wood but a sturdy, durable, and long-lasting one. You will never have to worry about the damage to your vehicle or anything inside since it can withstand wear. It has excellent resistance to fire, wind, and rain. No matter what kind of weather you are having outside, you can be sure that nothing will happen to your vehicle in such a solid and durable material.
- Easy to Install: Since it is made of high-grade steel, you do not need to worry about the installation process since it is easier to install. All you need to do is follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to do it properly. After that, you can now use your garage for all your vehicles, even for other purposes like storage.
Conclusion
As of now, you have learned not just that a metal garage is an excellent investment for your personal use, but it also offers so many other convenient and practical features. With the information shared above, you are ready to make your metal garage suitable for an electric car.