My nephew's Chevy Spark All-electric vehicle can travel 75 – 80 miles a day if fully charged. Charging requires 7 hours and the addition of a 220 outlet in his garage wall. His existing garage, built in the 1940s, has little room to accommodate any vehicle and the Spark tucks in tightly, plugs in easily.

The Spark is a convenient about-town vehicle, but for longer trips (across country, for instance) frequent access to a 220 outlet and charging station is key. When my nephew took a trip from Pittsburg to Malibu, the miles were no small consideration. Along with the vacation time he needed to take to make the trip, he prepared himself to be stuffed into the compact vehicle and making the necessary stops.

Cost of a 220 Outlet Installation

Homeadvisor.com reports that homeowners spent between $75 and $472 for a 220 outlet installation in 2015.

The Denver Post reports that average gas costs in the metro Denver area is $1.97 on May 11, 2016. Quora.com reports the average gas tank is 15 gallons x $1.97 = $29.55, an average of 350 miles. If the Spark were gas fueled, the trip between Pittsburgh and Malibu would be some $211 in gas.

Superchargers

My nephew traveled home recently, but not by car. He took his Spark from his home to the Pittsburgh airport. The ride wasn't seamless...construction with detours added to the trip. When he returned to Pennsylvania from his California visit, he had to make an immediate pit stop in his Spark at the Starbucks nearest the airport to "fuel up" on a supercharger. The fast superchargers can yield an 80% charge in about 20 minutes…long enough to order a venti Flat Black, take a seat, sip slowly and check on emails from the morning that came in during the redeye flight.

Invest in a 220 Garage Outlet

The bottom line is, an outlet installed in a garage to fuel an electric-only car is a great and green decision IF one has a second car fueled by traditional gas. Then there's no worry that one can exit the house, make a flight, make any kind of plan, without running out of electricity or fuel to get to that goal.

Contact Allstar Electric to install a 220 in your garage before heading to the car dealership. It's worth the install. You'll be the one to determine if the all-electric car is worth investing in now.