Electric Vehicles are the future, and New South Wales is leading the country on EV uptake right now. According to the Electric Vehicle Council, EV sales across NSW were up to 66% in the first four months of 2026 compared to the same period last year.
Even nationally, EVs made up 20% of new car sales in May 2026 alone. As the hype rises, more of our customers are jumping on the opportunity to get their EVs. But before signing the paperwork, each customer asks one question: “Is my garage ready for this?”
After a thorough assessment, we’ve concluded that most Sydney homes are, in fact, not ready for it. Because homes built before the 1990s were wired for kettles, TVs, and odd power tools, they weren’t designed for a car that draws so much electricity overnight as the rest of the house combined.
Here is what actually matters when you’re getting your property EV-ready.
When you’re finally ready to make the move, we start with your switchboard first.
Most homes end up installing a Level 2 home charger that runs on a dedicated 32-amp circuit. This provides a sustained load rather than a quick burst of energy, like a kettle switching on and off.
Unfortunately, older switchboards, especially those running on ceramic fuses, were never built to carry that load for long hours every night.
A quick rule of thumb is to check whether your switchboard was installed before 1990 or upgraded after that. If not, you’re possibly looking at an expense of switchboard installation along with the charger.
The vast majority of Sydney homes run on single-phase power, and that’s enough for most homeowners.
A single-phase 7kW charger adds around 30 to 40 kilometres of driving range per hour. You can plug it in when you get home and charge it overnight, just like your phone.
Three-phase power gets you to 11kW or 22kW charging, which is great if you are running two EVs, driving well over 100km a day, or just don’t want to fret about charging windows.
Obviously, it’s a higher upfront cost that requires time, effort, and money, but once done, it’s definitely worth the investment.
Everything comes down to what your certified electrician recommends. Just inform them if you ever plan to add a second EV down the track. Because adding another, especially when the walls are already closed up and dry, y will cost you a fortune.
If this is your first time using this service, you’d be amazed by how prices vary across different features and systems.
A single-phase 7kW install where the charger is close to the board is a far different job than a terrace where the switchboard is out front and parking is down in the back.
With League Electrical’s licensed electricians, you can get both done with the best services possible.
Now, as a rough estimate for Sydney in 2026:
An important thing to keep in mind before installation is that every installation in NSW must be carried out by a licensed electrician and comply with the AS/NZS 3000 wiring rules. If you get it wrong, you might void your vehicle’s warranty, your home insurance, and, in some cases, land you a fine.
It is also, quite frankly, not worth the risk, especially with the current running through that circuit.
If you’re renovating or building your home, honestly, this is the best moment to sort your EV setup. Running conduit from the switchboard to the garage while the walls are still open will cost you a fraction of what it would cost to do this with the walls closed.
However, there are a few things worth considering,
Running a second circuit now, even without installing a second charger yet, saves a painful retrofit later.
Most EV owners in Sydney charge their vehicles overnight, and pairing that with an off-peak electricity plan makes all the difference in running costs.
This means fully charging your vehicle on an off-peak tariff overnight brings your costs down to a few dollars compared to what it would cost you at the bowser. If you already have solar, some smart chargers can be set to draw from your panels during the day instead, which is worth asking your electrician about at the quote stage.
Not every home needs a full-blown switchboard upgrade to install an EV charger. Smart chargers with dynamic load balancing monitor your home’s total power draw in real time and adjust the charging rate so you never exceed your supply capacity.
For some Sydney properties, that alone is enough to avoid an entire upgrade. Make sure to ask your certified electrician during your assessment.
You might be thinking about getting the car first because, honestly, that’s more exciting than installing the charger. But the clever move is to first get your home ready to welcome your new car, rather than finding nearby bowsers to charge it.
So the best time to discuss is before you’ve actually brought your vehicle home.
Discuss with League Electrical and get a proper assessment that covers your switchboard capacity, cable run distance, and whether single-phase will suit how you drive, or whether three-phase makes more sense for your household.
League Electrical has been doing exactly this work across Sydney homes for years. Our Level 2 electricians handle everything from the switchboard assessment through to the compliance certificate. We are licensed (License No. 311945C), backed by a lifetime warranty on labour, and available 24/7 if something needs sorting outside business hours.
If you are planning to purchase an EV, or you already own one and are tired of a slow trickle charge from a standard power point, get in touch with League Electrical, and we will assess what your home actually needs before you spend a cent more than necessary.
Our goal is to demystify the process, address your concerns, and empower you with the knowledge to embark.
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