Last verified: 5 October 2026
The setup that works for 90% of households
A 7kW wallbox on a dedicated circuit, set to charge after 11pm on an EV or off-peak plan. That combination delivers a full week of commuting for the price of a coffee, and pays back the hardware in 12–24 months versus public charging.
- Get a quote that includes the switchboard work, not just the unit
- Ask your retailer about EV plans before installation — some require a smart meter
- Tethered (cable attached) beats untethered for daily convenience
Solar: when it's genuinely free
Solar charging is only "free" in the sense that you forgo the 5–8¢/kWh feed-in tariff. If you're home during the day — shift workers, remote workers, retirees — a solar-aware charger that follows your panels' output is excellent. If you commute daily, your panels export while your car is at the office, and the honest answer is off-peak grid charging, not solar.
A home battery changes the equation but adds $8,000–15,000. For most households, off-peak charging plus selling your solar back beats buying a battery just for the car.
Apartments and renters
Renters: portable 10A charging from a standard outlet adds 10–12km of range per hour — enough for 40km daily commutes. Apartment dwellers: body-corporate approval for a wallbox is the hurdle; the "right to charge" momentum is building but not law everywhere. Our advice: document a load assessment first, it answers 80% of strata objections. See the full apartment charging playbook for the letter template.
Frequently asked questions
Typically $1,200–$2,500 all-in for a 7kW wallbox on a standard switchboard. Long cable runs, switchboard upgrades or three-phase installs push it higher. Get two quotes and ask specifically about the switchboard.
Yes, with the portable charger that came with the car — expect 10–12km of range per hour. Fine for short commutes; frustrating for high-km drivers. A 15A outlet upgrade (~$300) is the cheap middle path.
Only if you already have it. Upgrading to three-phase purely for faster home charging rarely pays back — 7kW overnight fills any mainstream EV from empty. Exception: two-EV households charging simultaneously.
Smart is worth it for one feature: scheduled charging to hit off-peak windows automatically. Everything else (app stats, solar diversion) is nice-to-have. Don't pay $800 extra for features a $0 timer setting delivers.