Installing a ChargePoint Home Flex: plug-in or hardwired, which breaker, and what it costs

The ChargePoint Home Flex is the charger we recommend most often to homeowners who are not sure what their panel can handle, because it can be set anywhere from 16 to 50 amps and installed either on a plug or hardwired. It is on both SMECO’s and BGE’s connected charger lists, it is a Level 2 unit so the Maryland rebate applies, and a typical install in Calvert County or Anne Arundel County runs $800 to $2,500.

The amperage table, from ChargePoint

ChargePoint publishes this table on its Home Flex installation FAQ. The setting is chosen in the app by your electrician, and it has to match the breaker.

ChargePoint says the 32 and 40 amp settings are the most popular, and that matches what we see. Most cars cannot take more than 48 amps from a home charger anyway, and 40 amps adds roughly 30 miles of range per hour by ChargePoint’s estimate.

Plug-in or hardwired

• Plug-in models come with a NEMA 6-50 or NEMA 14-50 plug and, per the FAQ, only work at the 32 amp setting on a 40 amp breaker or the 40 amp setting on a 50 amp breaker. ChargePoint prefers the 6-50 because it does not need a neutral wire, which can trim the install cost a little. If you already have a 240 volt outlet in the garage, check the outlet type first: a dryer outlet is usually the wrong shape.
• The hardwired model accepts breakers from 20 to 80 amps and reaches the full 50 amp setting. It is the version to buy for a 48 or 50 amp install, for a 20 or 30 amp install on a tight panel, or for any outdoor mount.
• Outdoors the unit is rated NEMA 3R. ChargePoint says to hardwire it outside or use a weatherproof receptacle, which is the setup we use on a driveway post in North Beach or Pasadena where the car never sees a garage.

The 2023 National Electrical Code that Maryland uses requires GFCI protection on a 240 volt receptacle in a garage, which means a plug-in install carries a GFCI breaker and the small risk of nuisance trips that comes with it. A hardwired install does not need the GFCI breaker. That is one reason we often suggest the hardwired Home Flex even when a plug would work. Our plug-in versus hardwired article covers the tradeoff.

What the install costs

Same ranges as our cost guide: $800 to $1,500 when the panel is in or beside the garage, $1,200 to $2,500 for a typical run through the house, $2,000 to $3,500 for a long run through finished walls, and $2,500 to $7,500 when the charger goes to a detached garage or a driveway post with a trench. A panel upgrade, when the load calculation demands one, adds $2,000 to $4,500. Because the Home Flex can run at 32 amps on a 40 amp breaker, it is often the charger that avoids the upgrade on a 100 amp panel in Lusby or Glen Burnie.

Rebates and utility programs

• Maryland rebate: yes. Level 2, so the MEA pays 50 percent of the installed cost up to $700 after you have paid in full. Filing steps are in our rebate guide.
• SMECO managed charging: yes.ChargePoint is on SMECO’s connected charger list, so the Home Flex enrolls on its own regardless of the car. $10 a month, up to $120 a year.
• BGE Smart Charge Management: yes. BGE’s eligibility page names ChargePoint among the chargers that qualify regardless of vehicle. $10 a month per enrolled charger, up to $120 a year, or up to $240 with the EV time-of-use rate.

How we do the job

Tell us the panel size and the parking spot, we pick the setting and the plug or hardwire version with you, and the install happens within days of the permit clearing. The permit and inspection are part of the price. Details on our how it works page.