EV Charger Installation Geelong
Home EV charger installation across Geelong, the Bellarine and the Surf Coast, by CabledIN
CabledIN Electrical Solutions is a licensed electrician based in North Geelong that installs home EV chargers, including the Tesla Wall Connector (Gen 3), across greater Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula, the Surf Coast, Golden Plains and Werribee.
A licensed electrician (REC 30925) checks your switchboard and supply, runs a new circuit to where you park, then mounts, connects, sets up and tests the charger. You receive a Certificate of Electrical Safety. Most installs take a single visit, and we price the job once we have seen your switchboard and where the car parks.
- Where we install
- Garages, carports and driveways
- Supply
- Single-phase and three-phase chargers
- Paperwork
- Certificate of Electrical Safety for the work
- Who does it
- Licensed electricians, REC 30925
Home EV charger installation in Geelong: what is involved
A wall charger is a fixed appliance that draws a large load for hours at a time, so it is wired differently from a power point. Our job records show more than 25 completed EV charger installs, most often in Lara, Manifold Heights, Hamlyn Heights and Mount Duneed, and we also work in Highton, Armstrong Creek, Ocean Grove, Newtown and the rest of our Geelong service area. A typical home install includes:
- Its own circuit run from the switchboard to the charger, with nothing else on it.
- Its own protection at the switchboard: a combined circuit breaker and safety switch (RCD) for that circuit.
- An isolating switch next to the charger, weatherproof where it is outdoors.
- Cable in conduit where it runs along a wall or outside, kept as neat and as short as the house allows.
- Set-up. The charger is connected to your Wi-Fi and its app where it has one, and the charge rate is set to suit your supply.
- Testing with the car plugged in where it is available.
Wondering who is allowed to do this work? Our guide, can a normal electrician install an EV charger?, explains the licensing rules in Victoria.
Which EV charger is right for your home?
Powercor, the electricity distributor for Geelong and the surrounding region, describes three ways to charge at home:
| Option | Powercor's description | Range added for each hour of charging |
|---|---|---|
| The lead that came with the car, on a regular power point | Suitable if you use your car occasionally or for short trips | About 10 to 15 km |
| A single-phase 7 kW wall charger | Suits people who drive their EV regularly | About 30 to 40 km |
| A 22 kW wall charger | Needs three-phase power, so it is not suitable for every home | Faster again |
A charger cannot charge faster than the car will accept, so check what your car can take before paying for a larger unit. Many homes are single-phase, and a single-phase wall charger suits most drivers.
Within wall chargers, the choices that matter are:
- Tethered or socket only. A tethered charger has the lead attached. A socket-only charger uses the lead you carry in the car.
- Smart features. Scheduling for off-peak times, usage tracking, and load management that slows the charger when the rest of the house is drawing heavily.
- Bring your own or supplied. We are a registered Zappi installer, and we can supply a charger or install one you have already bought, including the unit that came with the car.
If you only want a better option for the portable lead, a dedicated power point in the garage is a smaller job.
Talk to a licensed Geelong electrician (REC 30925).
Tesla Wall Connector (Gen 3) installation
We install the Tesla Wall Connector (Gen 3), Tesla's home wall charger, like any wall charger: its own circuit and protection at the switchboard, an isolating switch beside it, and full testing before the certificate is issued.
- Single-phase or three-phase. Tesla's installation manual says it can run on either supply, so it suits most homes as they are.
- Set to suit the circuit. The installer sets the charge current during set-up, to match the circuit and what the house can spare.
- Wi-Fi. It takes software updates over a 2.4 GHz home network, so check your Wi-Fi reaches the garage or carport.
- Two Teslas. Up to six Wall Connectors at one address can share the available power, which may reduce the need for a supply upgrade to charge two cars.
The manual says only people qualified to work on electrical systems should install it. In Victoria that means a licensed electrician.
Single-phase or three-phase supply: what it means for charging
Your supply is the connection from the street to your meter and switchboard, and it decides which wall charger the house can run. energy.gov.au puts the difference simply: a single-phase supply brings mains power into the home through 3 wires, while a three-phase supply uses 5 wires and provides more electricity to run more or larger appliances.
- Single-phase. Runs a single-phase wall charger, the option Powercor says suits people who drive regularly. We still check what the house already draws before we size the circuit.
- Three-phase. Opens up a faster charger, if your car can accept it. If the house already has three-phase, it comes down to the right charger, circuit and protection.
Changing from single-phase to three-phase. This is an alteration to your supply. Only a Registered Electrical Contractor can lodge it with Powercor, through Powercor's eConnect portal. Powercor says alterations typically take 3 to 8 weeks, and Powercor's charges are separate from ours. If the local network cannot support the change, as can happen with high-capacity EV charging, it becomes a network upgrade applied for through Powercor.
Will my switchboard and supply cope?
This is the question that decides the job, so we check it first.
- Room on the board. The charger needs space for its own circuit breaker and safety switch. An old fuse board or a full board usually means a switchboard upgrade first.
- Capacity. We add up what the house already draws, such as the oven, cooktop, hot water and air conditioning, to see what is left for the car. Where it is tight, a charger with load management can share the supply instead of overloading it.
- The supply. If the charger you want needs more capacity or three-phase, that is a Powercor alteration, as set out above.
Powercor lists EV chargers among the common reasons households upgrade their supply. We lodge those applications for you: see mains and supply upgrades.
Not sure what you need? Tell us what is happening and we will talk it through.
What affects the cost of EV charger installation in Geelong
We price the job once we have seen your switchboard and where the car parks. The things that change the price are:
- The cable run. How far the parking spot is from the switchboard, and the route the cable takes through walls, the ceiling or under the floor.
- Trenching. A carport or detached garage away from the house can mean an underground cable run.
- The switchboard. Room for the new circuit, or a switchboard upgrade first.
- The supply. A change to three-phase or more capacity adds Powercor's alteration, with Powercor's own charges.
- Load management. Setting the charger up to share power with the house where the supply is tight may avoid the need for a supply upgrade.
- The charger. Whether we supply it or you already have one, and whether it is single-phase or three-phase.
- The mounting spot. Inside the garage, on an outside wall or on a post, with a weatherproof isolating switch outdoors.
You know the price for the whole job, from the switchboard to the certificate, before any work starts.
How installation works, step by step
- Tell us the basics. The car, the charger you have in mind, where you park, and a photo of your switchboard with the door open.
- Site check and price. We confirm the cable route, the board and the supply, and you know the price before any work starts.
- Install. We fit the protection at the switchboard, run the cable, mount the charger and the isolating switch, and connect it. The power is off for part of the job while we work in the board.
- Set up and test. The charger is commissioned and the charge rate is set. Before the certificate is issued, the circuit goes through the mandatory tests, including earthing continuity, insulation resistance, polarity, correct circuit connections, earth fault-loop impedance and safety switch operation.
- Handover. We show you how to start, stop and schedule a charge, and where the isolating switch is.
- Certificate. You receive a Certificate of Electrical Safety. Keep it with the house papers.
Where to put the charger
Position matters for years, so we agree it with you before any work starts.
- Match the car's charge port. Front, rear, left or right. If you have two cars with ports in different places, pick a spot the lead reaches for both.
- Keep the lead off the path. A lead across a walkway is a trip hazard and wears quickly.
- Think about the next car. A position that works for a second car later is worth a slightly longer cable run now.
- Outdoors is fine. Wall chargers made for outdoor use can go on an external wall or a post. We fit a weatherproof isolating switch beside them.
- Add light. Plugging in after dark is easier with a sensor light over the spot.
Units, townhouses and detached garages
Some homes need a little more planning than a charger on the garage wall beside the switchboard:
- Units and townhouses. If the cable would cross common property, check with your owners corporation before you book. We can provide a written scope for them to consider.
- Carports and detached garages. The cable may need to run underground or in conduit along a wall, so the route is worth planning at the site visit.
Why choose CabledIN for your EV charger
- Licensed Victorian Registered Electrical Contractor, REC 30925
- Registered Zappi installer
- More than 20 years' experience, based in North Geelong
- Electric car charger installation, single-phase and three-phase, including the Tesla Wall Connector (Gen 3) and switchboard and supply upgrades where needed
- Lifetime workmanship warranty
- 2,000+ five-star Google reviews
Recent EV charger jobs around Geelong
Wall chargers, isolating switches and switchboard work from our own installs.
Frequently asked questions
Who can do EV charger installation in Geelong?
A licensed electrician working for a Registered Electrical Contractor, and the work needs a Certificate of Electrical Safety. It is worth choosing one who installs chargers regularly, because sizing the supply is the important part. Our guide on whether a normal electrician can install an EV charger explains the rules.
What size EV charger do I need for my home?
Powercor describes a single-phase 7 kW home unit as suiting people who drive regularly, adding about 30 to 40 km of range for each hour of charging. A 22 kW unit needs three-phase power, so it is not suitable for every home. Your car's own charging limit matters too, so tell us the car when you book.
Can you install a charger I bought myself?
Yes. We install chargers home owners have bought themselves, including the Tesla Wall Connector (Gen 3) and the unit supplied with the car. Tell us the make and model when you book, so we can check it suits your supply and bring the right parts. It still gets its own circuit, protection and certificate.
Do I need to upgrade my switchboard for an EV charger?
Only if the board has no room for another circuit, still uses fuses, or has no safety switches. We check this from a photo of the board or at the site visit.
How do I know if my house has three-phase power?
Look at the main switch on your switchboard: on many boards a three-phase main switch is three poles wide rather than one. A three-phase supply comes in on 5 wires rather than 3 and can run more or larger appliances. Send us a photo of the board with the door open and we confirm it on site.
What affects the cost of EV charger installation in Geelong?
It depends on the distance from the switchboard to where you park, the cable route, whether the switchboard has room, whether the supply needs to change, and the charger itself. We price the job once we have seen your switchboard and where you park, so the price covers the whole job.
Do I need three-phase power to charge an electric car at home?
No. A single-phase wall charger suits most drivers, and Powercor says it suits people who drive regularly. Three-phase allows a faster charger if your home has three-phase supply and your car can accept it.
Can I just charge from a normal power point?
Yes, with the portable lead supplied with the car. It is slow, which suits short daily trips. A wall charger on its own circuit is much faster and is made for the job.
How long does it take to install an EV charger?
Most home installs are done in a single visit. Long cable runs, trenching or switchboard upgrades add time. A change to three-phase is lodged with Powercor, and Powercor says alterations typically take 3 to 8 weeks.
Can an EV charger be installed outside?
Yes. Wall chargers made for outdoor use can go on an external wall, in a carport or on a post beside the driveway, with a weatherproof isolating switch next to them. The cable runs in conduit, or underground to a post or detached garage.
Does Powercor need to approve my EV charger?
Not if the charger fits within your existing supply. We check the supply on the site visit. If its capacity or number of phases has to change, that is an alteration application to Powercor, the distributor for Geelong and the region, and we lodge it for you.
Can I install an EV charger myself?
No. Do-it-yourself electrical work is illegal in Victoria. A wall charger has to be installed and connected by a licensed electrician working for a Registered Electrical Contractor, who tests the circuit and issues a Certificate of Electrical Safety. Tesla's own manual says only people qualified to work on electrical systems should install its Wall Connector.
Still have a question? Ask the CabledIN team.