Switchboards

The switchboard decides what's possible — an ageing or full board needs addressing before an EV circuit is added.

Guides in this topic

• Single phase vs three phase EV charging

  The practical difference between single phase and three phase home EV charging, and how to know which supply you have.

• Dynamic load management for home EV chargers

  How dynamic load management lets a home EV charger avoid tripping the main switch, often without an expensive supply upgrade.

What this topic covers

• Assessing spare capacity

  We check main switch rating and how the house actually uses power.

• When an upgrade is required

  Ceramic fuses, no RCDs or no spare ways mean an upgrade is required, not optional.

• Load management as an alternative

  Where capacity, not condition, is the issue, load management can remove the need entirely.

• Protection devices

  RCD and overcurrent protection are specified to suit the charger's own leakage detection.

Key facts

• A 7.4kW charger draws 32A continuously, similar to a large air conditioner.
• Supply upgrades involve Western Power and can add lead time.
• Load management is usually cheaper than upgrading consumer mains.