Should You Renovate Your Home to Accommodate an Electric Car?

Electric vehicles are becoming more popular these days. U.S. consumers are projected to spend over $137 billion on electric vehicles by 2028.

If you are interested in purchasing an electric car, then you will want to consider renovating your house to accommodate it. Keep reading to learn more.

How Do You Renovate Your Home to Store an Electric Vehicle?

Lee Wallender wrote an insightful article in The Spruce about preparing your home and garage for an electric vehicle. Here are some of the important takeaways.

Make Sure that You Install an Electric Charger for Your Car

You are going to need to make sure that you build an electric charging station for your vehicle. This is going to be important if you live in an area without a lot of electric charging stations in the community. One survey found that 90% of electric vehicle owners want to charge their vehicles at home.

Here are some things that you will need to do when building a charging station:

• Apply for permits
• Make sure that you have at least a 240 V circuit breaker
• Install a cable in your charging station
• Attach a mounting bracket and the electric vehicle charging equipment

These steps are important to make sure that you build the right charging station for your vehicle.

Renovate Your Garage to Have Enough Space for All Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles are pricey and vulnerable. You will want to make sure that you have enough space for them in your garage, so that they will be safe from the elements. You may need to build an addition to your garage if it isn’t currently large enough for them.

Renovate the Garage to Minimize Fire Hazards

You will also want to make the necessary improvements to reduce the risk of fire hazards. You will want to consider using flame retardants on your walls and move any flame sources, such as your garage furnace if they will be too close to your vehicle and charging station.

Reasons to Invest in Electric Cars

We have mentioned some of the steps that you will need to take to renovate your home to store your electric vehicles. These renovations may even increase your home’s property value. But why should you buy an electric vehicle in the first place?

Whether you’re thinking of investing in an electric vehicle (EV) or you already own one, there are some pretty cool facts about these vehicles that you might not already be aware of. Here are seven things you might not know about electric cars. 

1. New Vehicles Offer Reverse EV Charging to Power Your Home

You probably already know that home EV charging stations allow you to charge your electric vehicle from home so you don’t need to always go to a local charging station. But did you know that some 2022 electric vehicle models, including the Nissan Leaf, offer “bi-directional charging” — meaning their batteries are capable of both input and output? This allows your home to both provide and receive a charge, which could be a neat feature during a power outage. 

The Hyundai Kona offers a “vehicle-to-tent” feature, which allows the EV to provide a few days of electric power to your camping site. 

2. Electric Cars Have Been Around for a Long Time 

It might surprise you to learn that EVs aren’t a modern invention. The first electric car was invented in 1832 by a Scottish inventor named Robert Anderson. His first model was powered by non-rechargeable power cells and far from practical. The first practical electric vehicle wouldn’t come about until the 1870s.

What might surprise you even more? Between 1900 and 1912, one-third of vehicles on the road were powered by electricity.

Thomas Edison was a firm believer that electric vehicles were superior. During the 1900s, he designed three electric cars that operated with nickel-iron Edison Storage batteries.

3. Braking Recharges Your EV Battery

Electric vehicles have a regenerative braking system — meaning every time you hit the brake on your EV, the battery recharges. This also means the mechanical braking system is used less often, which helps prevent wear and tear on the brakes. 

4. The Tesla Model 3 Is No Longer the Most Popular EV Model 

The Tesla Model 3 used to be the most popular electric vehicle, but in 2022, the Tesla Model Y took the No. 1 spot with 172,700 cars sold. The Model 3 ranked No. 2 with 128,860 sold, while the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Chevrolet Bolt, and Volkswagen Id.4 filled spots 3 through 5. 

5. Electric Cars Offer More Trunk Space

Okay, so if you already own an EV, you do know this fact. But if you don’t own one, you might not know about this nice added bonus of owning an electric vehicle. Since these cars lack combustible engines, the front hood is empty. For this reason, most models offer a front trunk. 

6. EVs are Much More Efficient Than Gas-Powered Vehicles

A little-known fact about gas-powered vehicles is that they waste the majority of the energy they produce. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, only 12% to 30% of the energy produced by fuel actually gets used to power it. The rest of the energy gets sucked up by the engine and accessories, such as the air conditioner. 

In comparison, electric vehicles use up to 80% of the car’s battery to power the car — meaning you get more bang for your buck when it comes to efficiency. 

7. Electric Cars are Still Pretty Rare

Even though EV sales are at an all-time high, there still aren’t that many on the road in the United States yet. In 2022, it was estimated that only 1% of the 250 million cars on America’s roads are powered by electricity. 

These are just seven things you might not have known about electric cars. Now that you’ve learned more about what these vehicles are capable of, maybe you’ll be ready to take the plunge and invest in one yourself. 

Renovate Your Home for Your Electric Vehicles

You will want to consider renovating your home to store your electric vehicle. The tips listed above will make this process easier.