Electric car charger installation, done once and done right
An electric vehicle charger is not a power point on a wall. It is a dedicated circuit pulling full current for hours at a time, and the quality of the design is what decides whether it is still faultless in ten years. Here is exactly how the job runs.
What actually happens on the day
Nothing here is optional and nothing here is padding. This is the sequence every compliant electric vehicle charger installation follows in Western Australia.
1. We look at the board first
Every install starts at the switchboard, not the wall. We check the main switch rating, spare ways, existing RCD protection and how much headroom the supply has. A photo of the open board tells us most of it before anyone drives out.
2. Dedicated circuit, not a power point
A wall charger is hard wired onto its own circuit so it can hold 32 amps for hours. That means correctly sized cable, a dedicated breaker and a Type A plus 6mA DC RCD. Runs are taken through the roof, under eaves or in conduit so nothing looks like an afterthought.
3. Load managed where supply is tight
Older Perth homes on a 63 amp single phase main can still run a 7kW charger. We fit current monitoring so the charger eases back when the oven, ducted aircon and hot water all fire at once, then ramps straight back up. Far cheaper than a supply upgrade.
4. Tested, certified, handed over
Insulation and loop testing, a live charge session before we pack up, the electrical safety certificate, notice of completion lodged with Building and Energy WA, warranty registered with the manufacturer and the app set up on your phone.
How fast you charge depends on your supply, not the brand
Single phase, 7.4kW
What most Perth houses have. Adds about 40km of range an hour, so an overnight off peak window puts back roughly 300km. Right for the vast majority of households.
Three phase, 11kW to 22kW
Common in newer estates and knock down rebuilds. Three times the speed if your car's onboard charger can take it. Worth it for two EV households, high kilometre drivers and anyone chasing a big midday solar surplus.
Portable and socket options
A 15 amp outlet gives around 3kW and a standard 10 amp outlet about 2kW. Fine as a backup or for a plug in hybrid, too slow as a primary charger for a full battery EV.
What changes the price
Two houses on the same street can be several hundred dollars apart, and it is almost never the charger that causes it. These are the six things that move a quote. Full Perth price ranges sit on the cost page.
See Perth cost ranges- Distance from the switchboard to the charger
- The single biggest variable
- Condition and spare capacity at the board
- Rearrange, sub board or upgrade
- Single phase or three phase supply
- Changes cable, breaker and unit
- Paved or concreted access to the wall
- Trench and reinstate, or take a roof route
- Solar diverting and CT clamp fitting
- Extra work at the meter, big running saving
- Mount type, wall or bollard
- Pedestal mounts add hardware and labour
Electric car charger installation, answered
What is involved in installing an electric car charger at home?+
A licensed electrician runs a dedicated circuit from your switchboard to the charger position, fits the correct breaker and a Type A plus 6mA DC RCD, mounts and commissions the unit, tests it, hands you an electrical certificate and sets up the app. On a straightforward Perth home that is three to five hours with the power off for one to two of them.
Do I need a special power point for an electric car charger?+
A wall charger does not plug into a normal power point. It gets hard wired onto its own circuit so it can pull 32 amps continuously for hours without loading the rest of the house. A standard 10 amp outlet trickle charges at about 2kW, which is fine as a backup but adds only 10 to 15km of range an hour.
How long does an electric vehicle charger installation take?+
Most single phase 7kW jobs are done in one visit inside half a day. Longer cable runs, a switchboard upgrade, trenching under a paved driveway or a three phase circuit push it towards a full day. Anything needing Western Power approval is booked after they respond.
Can an electric car charger be installed in a carport or outside?+
Yes. Every unit we install is rated for outdoor use, typically IP65 or better. In Perth the things that matter are afternoon sun on a west facing wall and salt air near the coast, so we pick the position and the mount to keep the unit shaded and the cable off the ground.
Which charger should I get for my electric car?+
Almost every EV sold in Australia uses a Type 2 socket, so the charger choice is about features rather than compatibility. If you have solar, a diverting charger like a Zappi or Fronius Wattpilot pays for itself. If you just want simple and fast, a Tesla Wall Connector Gen 3 or a Fox ESS unit does the job. Our Compare Chargers page puts all of them side by side.
Will installing a charger overload my home's electrical supply?+
Not if it is designed properly. On a tight single phase supply we fit load management so the charger backs off when the oven, aircon and hot water are all running, then ramps back up. That is far cheaper than upgrading the supply and you never notice it happening.
Where we install across Perth
We are a Perth based electrical contractor working the full metro, from Yanchep in the north to Mandurah in the south. Most jobs are booked within three to seven days of you accepting the quote.
Perth drivers on how the install went.
Mark was 100/10. Communication, price and most important quality and immaculate workmanship. We had an EV charger and full solar with battery installed. He worked his quote to fit our budget, sorted the silly admin with the energy companies, and staggered the install over two Saturdays to suit us. The battery in the garage is a work of art. I will recommend him 10 times over.
Received a call back from Mark who arranged everything. He was very knowledgeable on the myenergi Zappi charger and left me feeling really confident. The finished job looked mint, the garage was left spotless. Two weeks later I asked Mark to fit a 16kWh GoodWe battery and inverter. Once again the work was done professionally, on time and at a fantastic price.
Mark installed our new GoodWe 33 kWh battery system, upgraded our solar inverter and added additional panels. Friendly, professional and easy to deal with from start to finish. He took the time to explain how the new system works. It's refreshing to deal with a local electrician who genuinely cares. 5 stars!
Great service from Mark installing our EV charger. He arrived right on time, worked efficiently, and left everything very tidy and neat afterward. The installation itself is clean and professional, excellent value for money. Would definitely recommend.
They responded to my request for a quote faster than anyone else. They were competitive and turned up exactly when they said they would. Their work was great. All went very well. I would happily recommend Mark and his team to everyone. A great service.
I'm impressed by Mark. Service exceeded expectations. I had a full install with supplied EV wall charger. Price reasonable and communication impeccable. Thank you Mark!
I was very impressed that Mark contacted me very soon after I submitted a request for a quote to install my Zappi charger. The installation was extremely quick and it was obvious that Mark certainly knew what he was doing, to the extent that I asked him to replace all of our solar panels and install a new battery too.
Today Mark installed a new EV charger at my property and I couldn't be happier with the result. Mark communicated really well in the lead up to the job, so I always knew the plan. The install itself looks very professional and there was no mess left when the job was completed.
Mark did an amazing job installing the myenergi Zappi Glo EV charger. Great workmanship, very tidy and professional. He arrived on time with great communication throughout. I would definitely recommend him for any electrical needs.