EV Charger Installation FAQ – Cape Town

You can use a standard 15A socket in a pinch, but it’s slow (often 3–4 days for a full charge) and not designed for continuous overnight load. A dedicated Level 2 charger on its own circuit is safer, faster, and far better for your car’s battery long-term.

A properly installed Level 2 charger will fully charge most EVs in 6–8 hours overnight. PHEVs typically charge in 2–3 hours.

Most home installations run around R4,000 for the electrical work — that covers the dedicated circuit, isolator switch, earth leakage protection, cabling, and your Certificate of Compliance. The charger hardware itself ranges from R10,000 to R20,000 depending on how smart it is. Your EV or PHEV may have come with a portable charger already.

Not always — and this is the most important question to answer before any installation. A Level 2 charger draws significant continuous load for hours at a time. Your DB board, main breaker, and supply capacity all need to be assessed first. This is exactly what a proper site assessment covers.

It depends on your current setup. Older boards or homes already running near capacity may need an upgrade. In many cases a new dedicated breaker and circuit is all that’s required. You’ll know exactly what’s needed after the site assessment — in writing, before any work begins.

Yes, and it’s a great combination. Your charger can be configured to draw preferentially during daylight hours when your panels are producing, reducing your grid consumption significantly. This needs to be set up correctly from the start — it doesn’t happen automatically with every charger.

Yes. A CoC is a legal requirement for any new electrical installation in South Africa — and your home insurer will require it in the event of a claim. Any installation without one puts you at risk. A CoC is included as standard on every EVCI.tech job.

Increasingly, yes. EV and PHEV drivers specifically filter for properties with charging. It’s a visible amenity you can list, it justifies a higher nightly rate, and the electrical infrastructure cost is a once-off business expense. A basic dedicated circuit with a smart charger is usually all you need.

You can, but there are real risks if it’s not set up properly. Portable chargers draw up to 16 amps continuously for several hours. Plugged into a shared kitchen or garage circuit, they can trip breakers, cause heat buildup in older wiring, and in worst cases create a fire risk. A dedicated circuit eliminates all of that — and costs less than most people expect.

The right charger depends on your car, your supply capacity, and whether you want smart features like load balancing, off-peak scheduling, or solar integration. EVCI.tech is charger-brand independent — the recommendation you get is based on your situation, not on what’s in stock. Charger supply can be arranged, or you can purchase separately based on the written recommendation.