Quick answer: Mount your EV charger on the wall closest to where your charge port sits when you park, so the cable takes a short path that does not cross a walkway or wrap around the bumper. Confirm the spot with a licensed electrician before you drill.
Where you mount a Level 2 charger decides how easy every charging session will be for years. Pick the wrong wall and you will be dragging a heavy cable across the floor, around a bumper or over the hood every night. Here is how to choose a location that works.
Start with where your charge port is
Charge ports are on the front, rear, driver side or passenger side depending on the vehicle. Note where yours is, and how you normally park (nose in or backed in). The shortest, cleanest path from charger to port usually points to the right wall.
Five things to check before you mount
1. Distance to the electrical panel
A longer run from the panel can mean more wiring and a higher installation cost. Ask a licensed electrician to quote a couple of locations before you decide.
2. Reach to every parking spot you will use
If you have, or plan to have, two EVs, a spot between the two parking spaces often works best. Measure the distance through the air from the charger to each port, not along the floor.
3. Walkways and doors
Avoid mounting where the cable will cross the path to the house door, the garage door or storage areas. That is where trip hazards happen.
4. Clearance for doors, lifts and the car itself
Check that garage door tracks, storage racks and opening car doors will not hit the charger or cable.
5. A solid mounting surface
Chargers and cable accessories need a stud or masonry behind them. Plan the location around framing you can actually anchor into.
Where not to mount
- Low on a wall where the cable will always end up on the floor
- Behind the car, if your port is on the front
- Anywhere the cable has to cross the main walkway
- Where it blocks a door, panel access or storage
Already installed in the wrong spot?
Moving a charger means new wiring. A simpler fix is to move the cable instead. A wall-mounted arm like EV Hover swivels 180 degrees and extends up to 6 1/4 feet, or 9 1/4 feet with the 3-foot extender, carrying the cable overhead to the port. It folds flat against the wall when you are done and works with charging cables up to 1 inch thick.
Quick checklist
- Know where every charge port is and how you park
- Get electrician quotes for more than one location
- Measure reach through the air to every spot
- Keep the cable out of walkways
- Confirm a stud or masonry for mounting