Emporia Level 2 EV Charger Install in Vancouver, WA (Hazel Dell)

We put in an Emporia Level 2 EV charger at a newer home in the Hazel Dell neighborhood of Vancouver, WA. The garage panel had open space and the homeowner wanted the charger right next to it, so the whole install (mount, circuit, breaker, test, label) took about 45 minutes.

Why Emporia fit this house

Emporia is one of the more affordable hardwired Level 2 chargers, and it works well in a newer home:

• The panel’s big enough for a 40- or 50-amp EV circuit without a load calculation
• The breaker space was open and labeled, so no tandems or moving circuits around
• The drywall’s new enough that flex on the surface looks clean

Emporia also has energy monitoring and an app, which helps if you want to charge during off-peak hours or keep an eye on your home’s power use.

Hardwired or plugged in

The Emporia can go in either way. We hardwired this one:

• Hardwired runs a little cooler, handles higher amperage, and doesn’t depend on a NEMA 14-50 outlet (several of which have been recalled for EV charging)
• Plugged in only makes sense if you might take the charger with you or want to be able to unplug it

If you plan to stay in the house, we recommend hardwiring.

Why it was quick

Three things lined up:

1. The panel’s in the garage, so no fishing wire through finished walls
2. Open breaker space right next to the charger, so a short run
3. Newer construction, so no aluminum wiring, no Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel, no load calculation

When those three line up, it’s a one-visit job. When they don’t (older panel, detached garage, a long run through a crawl space), it’s still doable, but it takes more labor and material. A quick look tells us which kind of job it is before anybody agrees on a price.

Planning a Level 2 install around Vancouver? We’ve put in 120+ EV chargers, from quick jobs next to the panel like this one to long runs out to detached garages and shops. Call 360-828-7143 or reach out for a free quote.