Just depends on your house. Not necessary for us. The level 2 charger in our garage is right above the panel in our basement and we had room on the panel for the level 2 charger. If you don’t have room the electrician will have to upgrade the amps. We had it installed when we got our first EV about 9 years ago. Have had no trouble with it at all (never a blown fuse or any issue running the dryer etc) and it’s great. Gets used almost every day between our PHEVs and the EV.
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Worth noting that in many areas there are very good rebates and incentives from state and local entities and/or utilities for charger installation, as well as a 30% federal tax credit (there’s a census tract test on that now though).
So for many people a charger installation (sometimes including panel upgrades) will end up being very inexpensive and sometimes free.
Also, to clarify “rapid” or “fast” charging which sometimes get used to refer to different levels of charging:
Level 1 charging only requires a 120v outlet and will add around 3 miles of range for every hour of charging.
Level 2 charging requires a 240v circuit, either an outlet or hard-wired, and the evse/charger can be selected or set to run off a range of circuits (30, 40, 50, 60 amp). Level 2 on a 60 amp circuit will draw 48 amps and add around 30-40 miles per hour.
Level 3 charging, which is what people usually mean when they say rapid or fast charging, is not for a home application. It is what commercial charging stations provide. Electrify America, EVGo, Tesla, etc. This will add as much as 300+ miles of range per hour, with the constraint being the vehicle’s charging capability and the precise amount of charge being delivered at the specific time and location (this can vary greatly). In general, these stations will get most current EVs to 80% charge in 20-30ish minutes, give or take.
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Hertz is almost giving away their electric vehicles. Here’s an example from the Chicago area of a Chevy Bolt EUV for $14,000, and eligible for a $4,000 tax credit.
https://www.hertzcarsales.com/certified/Chevrolet/2023-Chevrolet-Bolt+EUV-7e220922ac182e0b60871b6603504e27.htm
You can slow trickle charge with any electrical outlet with no upgrades.
If you want to do faster home charging you may or may not need an electrical panel upgrade. Most people don’t, but some do. It depends how close your existing panel is to our max peak load. And even if you are close, it’s possible that, like me, you can more cost effectively avoid an upgraded panel is one of a couple ways:
- If you have an electric dryer that is in your garage or close range you could be a switch that allows you to share that outlet with the dryer and a plug-in level 2 (higher capacity) charger.
- That wasn’t the case for me. So I instead had the electrician install a loan shedding monitor next to the existing panel. It monitors current draw and if the panel can’t handle the load it temporarily shuts off load to the charger to prevent tripping the circuit. As a practical matter, this is a theoretical safety measure because most panels almost never get near their peak load.
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The comments made by Carlos Tavares, who leads global automaker [Stellantis], comes as car companies confront slower growth in EV sales. It also coincides with complaints from U.S. dealers who sell Jeep and other Stellantis brands that the company has too many expensive models and not enough options for buyers on a tighter budget.
Auto executives have zeroed in on high prices as a major impediment to broader acceptance of EVs. Several have said they are working on cheaper battery-powered models for the U.S. market, where average selling prices for EVs in recent years have ranged from the high-$40,000s to more than $60,000.
Tavares, speaking at a Bernstein conference, said that a $25,000 all-electric Jeep is achievable in part because the company is already selling cheaper EVs at a profit in other parts of the world. In particular, he mentioned the Citroën e-C3, a hatchback being sold in Europe at €23,300. This model will eventually be offered at a lower price of €20,000, or $21,500.
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Depends on what outlets you have.
Common household outlets with 120V 15A would be good for at most 1.4 kW charging, which would add 2-4 miles of range per hour of charging. Overnight charging may be good for 20 to 40 miles of range.
If you have an unused electric dryer outlet with 240V 30A, that would be good for up to 5.7 kW charging, which would add 11 to 22 miles of range per hour of charging. Overnight charging may be good for 110 to 220 miles of range.
However, if you need or want to install a dedicated 240V 40-60A circuit for faster charging, that may require an electrical panel upgrade if your panel is relatively small relative to existing electrical loads in the house.
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Re: comments from Carlos Tavares of Stellantis
Car companies have been discontinuing less expensive vehicles in the US generally. Report: The Average Price of a New Vehicle says that the average price of a new vehicle in the US was over $47k ($54k for EVs).
The cheapest Stellantis vehicle offered new in the US is the Fiat 500X at just under $32k MSRP. The next cheapest is the Dodge Hornet at just under $33k. The lowest MSRPs over all brands in the US appear to be just under $18k for the Nissan Versa and Mitsubishi Mirage.
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Just came back from a quick road trip from
Seattle to our friends’ place in Oregon (about 300 miles one way). Our “ancient” 7 yr old X did well. Pointed us to the most optimal Supercharger en route. We stopped once - to charge the car and to hit the Starbucks next door to the charger. Our hotel had a Supercharger in the parking lot, so we charged the car right before hitting the road back home. Again, stopped for a Panera lunch and a quick charge. I really like that the car makes us stop and stretch our legs! Saw plenty of EVs on the interstate, including 2 cybercrap ones. The one that had a temporary license plate had smudges and paw prints on its sides… like a cheap stainless steel appliance. We finally figured out why we never saw a Ford EV truck… because it blends in with the “natives.” 
Can’t tell it is a Lightning unless you notice the small logo on the side and the absence of any tailpipes. We liked that!
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I was at a stoplight tonight next to a Tesla cyber truck OMG, it really does look like that! Does not look like a truck at all from the outside.
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The running light design in the front and back differs between the F-150 Lightning and other F-150 trucks. That is a little more noticeable than the tiny Lightning badges.
From the driver side, you can also see the charge port door.
Given that there are SO many different permutations of F-150s in my neck of the woods, many of which are further customized, the lights would not be a dead giveaway. I guess I live in a blue redneck area My point is that Ford made a truck that looks like a truck, not an ugly old stainless steel fridge with wheels or a bug-eyed contraption with a joke of a bed. Still waiting for an EV truck with a full size bed. Otherwise, how would we bring the amounts of dirt and beauty bark my husband routinely hauls home? 
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Well, there’s always your husband’s “backpack frame” and strong back. 
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@BunsenBurner my husband is seriously considering the Ford Maverick hybrid.
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It is a nice one!
We want a full EV because we don’t drive our truck much. Only 60k miles in 24 years… would love to minimize maintenance like oil changes that come with an ICE truck ownership.
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DH will look at EV trucks when the time comes. But right now…they just aren’t appealing to him for a variety of reasons.
Would you also want it to be a home battery while parked next to the house?
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True. That’s also a benefit.
That’s what we have! We have never, ever owned a truck because we just aren’t truck people. But, I just retired and he will next year or the year after and these really basic little trucks get 50 mpg. We now can haul our own crap to the dump as we clean out this massive home or buy our own pine straw or mulch to put down. They are very simple and sparse compared to an F150 but they are perfect for our use.
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lol, my first new car was a Maverick (circa 1970). Garbage car. Now, the Celica I bought next–that was very cool!
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