Additional Power Point for an Electric Car: Why an EV-Ready Garage Is Worth Planning

A dedicated power point or wall charger for an electric car can appear to be an unnecessary upgrade when a home is being designed. However, once the household purchases an electric vehicle, convenient home charging quickly becomes an important part of everyday life.

This is particularly relevant for homes with rooftop solar. It can also be a valuable inclusion for an investment property, because many tenants cannot install permanent charging equipment themselves.

Why home charging makes such a difference

The majority of electric vehicle charging takes place at home. Instead of making a separate trip to a public charging station, the owner can plug the car in after arriving home and allow it to charge while it is parked.

A car can be charged from a suitable ordinary power point, although this is the slowest option. Households that need faster or more regular charging can install a dedicated AC wall charger, commonly rated between 7 kW and 22 kW depending on the property’s electrical supply, the charger and the vehicle. A licensed electrician must assess and install dedicated EV charging equipment, and some homes may require switchboard or supply upgrades.

Home charging also gives the household greater control over when the electricity is purchased. Without solar, the vehicle can often be scheduled to charge during a cheaper off-peak electricity period. With solar panels, daytime charging can use electricity being generated by the home rather than purchasing the same amount from the grid. The actual saving depends on the solar system, electricity plan, charging schedule and whether the vehicle is at home during daylight hours.

An ordinary garage power point is not necessarily an EV-ready solution

It is important to distinguish between having a general-purpose power point somewhere in the garage and having electrical infrastructure planned for regular vehicle charging.

Depending on the owner’s requirements, an EV-ready garage may include:

• a dedicated power circuit for vehicle charging;
• a suitably located 15-amp power point;
• cabling and conduit for a future wall charger;
• sufficient switchboard capacity;
• appropriate circuit protection and isolation;
• a 7 kW or higher wall-mounted charger;
• load-management equipment where the home has limited electrical capacity; and
• compatibility with rooftop solar or future battery storage.

The most suitable option depends on how far the vehicle travels each day, how long it remains parked at home, the capacity of its onboard charger and the home’s electrical supply.

For some households, a dedicated power point providing slower overnight charging may be sufficient. Others will benefit from a wall charger that can replace substantially more driving range during the same period. The decision should be made before the electrical work is completed, rather than simply asking an electrician to install the largest charger available.

Why it is better to plan for charging during construction

An EV charging point can usually be added to an existing house, but installation is generally simpler when it is included in the original electrical design.

During construction, the electrician can plan the switchboard, circuit protection, cable size and cable route before the walls and ceilings are closed. The charger or power point can be placed on the correct side of the garage, close to the vehicle’s normal parking position, without relying on long charging leads across the floor.

The builder can also provide conduit or suitable cabling for a future charger even when the owner does not intend to purchase an electric car immediately. This provides much of the practical benefit of an EV-ready home without requiring the owner to select and buy a charger before it is needed.

Retrofitting may involve a long cable run from the switchboard, surface-mounted conduit, excavation between the house and a detached garage, removal and reinstatement of wall linings or an upgrade to the switchboard or incoming electricity supply. These are the factors that can turn a relatively straightforward electrical inclusion into a more expensive project. Current Australian installation guidance similarly identifies long cable runs, trenching and switchboard or supply upgrades as major cost variables.

How much does a home EV charging point cost?

There is no single installation price because the term “EV charger” can refer to anything from a suitable power point to a smart wall-mounted charging system.

The NSW Government currently gives a broad indicative range of approximately $200 to more than $5,000 per installed charging unit. The lower end may apply to simple work in a convenient location, while more complex installations can require substantial cabling, electrical upgrades or specialised charging equipment.

As a more specific market indication, current Australian pricing guidance suggests that a well-equipped home wall charger commonly costs approximately $1,500 for the hardware, with a further $1,000 to $1,500 for a straightforward installation. This produces a typical total of approximately $2,500 to $3,000 before any switchboard overhaul, supply upgrade, trenching or unusually long cable run. These figures are indicative only and must not be treated as a quotation for a particular property.

Installing the equipment during a new build does not eliminate the cost of the charger itself. However, it can avoid many of the additional costs associated with opening completed surfaces, finding a practical cable route or altering a switchboard that was not designed for the extra electrical load.

A practical compromise is to make the garage EV-ready during construction and install the actual wall charger later. This may include the dedicated circuit, switchboard provision, conduit and correctly positioned termination point.

Solar panels can make home charging particularly attractive

A household with rooftop solar may be able to charge an electric vehicle using part of its own daytime generation. This can reduce the amount of electricity purchased from the grid and make better use of solar energy that might otherwise be exported.

Some smart wall chargers can adjust the charging rate to match available solar generation. Others can be programmed to charge during selected periods. The correct arrangement depends on the solar inverter, charger, electricity meter and the household’s other electrical loads.

Solar charging works best when the vehicle is regularly parked at home during the day. Where the car is away during working hours, the household may instead use overnight off-peak charging, charge on weekends or consider how a home battery could fit into its broader energy system. The NSW Government recommends daytime charging for households using solar and off-peak charging for households relying on grid electricity.

Why renters and apartment residents face additional difficulties

It would be too broad to say that only owner-occupiers can own an electric vehicle. Renters can use public charging, workplace charging or, where suitable and permitted, a portable charger connected to a power point at home.

However, reliable home charging is generally much easier for an owner-occupier.

A tenant is unlikely to spend thousands of dollars installing permanent electrical infrastructure in a property they do not own and may leave after one or two lease terms. Permanent electrical alterations normally require the owner’s consent. In an apartment or another strata-managed property, the installation may also involve common property, shared switchboards, electrical-capacity limits, load management, metering and strata approval.

Apartment charging is not necessarily impossible, but it often requires a coordinated building-wide approach. Adding individual chargers without considering the complete building load can create electrical-capacity and billing problems. A proper solution may require a shared EV charging backbone, demand management and a system that allocates electricity costs to the correct resident.

A tenant renting a detached house may have fewer technical barriers, but the financial problem remains. It is difficult to justify paying for a permanent charger that will stay with the property at the end of the tenancy.

An EV charger can help an investment property stand out

For an investor, an EV charging point is not only an environmental feature. It can remove a practical obstacle for a particular group of tenants.

A tenant who already owns an electric vehicle may actively look for a property with secure off-street parking and suitable charging. Where two otherwise comparable houses are available, a properly installed charger may become an important deciding factor.

The charger can also improve the way the property is marketed. Instead of a vague statement that there is electricity in the garage, the listing can identify the house as EV-ready or confirm that a dedicated charger is installed. This makes the inclusion visible to tenants searching specifically for electric vehicle facilities.

The earlier figure of 54 EV-charger rental listings across Australia, with none on the Central Coast, should not be presented as a current statistic. Rental listings change continuously, and a check on 12 August 2026 found more than 600 properties advertised for rent on the Central Coast and at least several current local listings expressly promoting an EV charger. The feature therefore already exists in the local rental market, but it remains uncommon enough to provide a meaningful point of difference.

An EV charger does not automatically guarantee a higher rent or shorter vacancy period. Its value will depend on the location, property type, tenant demand and the quality of the rest of the home. Nevertheless, it is a relatively targeted inclusion that may broaden the potential tenant pool and make the property more competitive as electric vehicle ownership grows.

Choosing the right level of EV readiness

Not every property needs an expensive charger immediately.

For a new owner-occupied home where an electric vehicle is already planned, installing the appropriate wall charger during construction may be the most convenient option.

For a household that may purchase an electric vehicle later, providing the dedicated circuit, switchboard capacity and cable route can be sufficient. The charger can then be selected to suit the actual vehicle.

For an investment property, the owner may consider either a suitable dedicated power point or a straightforward wall charger connected to the tenant’s electricity meter. The equipment should be easy to use, positioned safely and selected with broad vehicle compatibility in mind.

The important point is to make a deliberate decision. Simply adding another ordinary double power point to the garage does not necessarily mean the home is properly prepared for regular vehicle charging.

How ARK Houses can help

At ARK Houses, we can incorporate EV-ready infrastructure into the design of a new house, duplex or dual-key property, including the charger location, dedicated circuit, switchboard provision, future cable route and coordination with rooftop solar. We can also assess an existing home and coordinate the electrical and building work required to add a suitable power point or wall charger, including access, trenching, surface reinstatement and switchboard modifications where necessary. For investment properties, we can help select a practical level of EV readiness that improves the home’s long-term usability without installing unnecessary equipment.

Discuss Your New Home