So you have had your eyes on an electric vehicle for some time. You know they get great mileage, pollute less than gas-fueled cars, and accelerate faster. You’ve been waiting because you had some questions.

Would there be enough places to recharge if you decided to take a long trip?

Would battery life allow you the same range as a gasoline car?

Would you be able to recharge it without busting your electricity bill?

And now the answer to all three of these questions is yes.

So what do you need to do to prepare your garage for the arrival of your new electric vehicle?

Prepare your garage for your electric vehicle

According to a recent article from Car and Driver magazine, there are a couple key preparations you need to make for your new electric vehicle.

Charging station: In your garage near your vehicle you will need a charging station. This station takes your home’s electricity and prepares it to enter you car by, among other things, directing it to the right prongs of your vehicle’s charging cord in the optimal format.

Car manufacturers like Chevy are offering to install these free or at significant discount if you ask.

Wiring: Unless your garage already has a washer and dryer or other heavy duty appliance, you will likely need to add wiring and an outlet that is designed to handle a 240 volt charge. This might require the efforts of a trained electrician.

Fuse box additions: if this is all new wiring, your electrician might need to make upgrades to your home’s circuit box including new circuits and circuit breakers.

Bonus: A company named JuiceBox sells a charger that tracks your charging history and sends that to your phone or computer via their app. Better yet, the app allows you to choose when your vehicle charges. So instead of simply charging when you get home, say from a mid-day errand run, it can wait until overnight to charge. In some places where there is large demand on the electrical grid during the day, like the southwest, this feature might save you dollars each billing cycle by allowing you to fill up with less expensive off-peak electricity.

Charge your car at home. Screen grab from Chevy.com