Amazon sells pretty much everything and it already sells electric car home chargers, but now the company also wants to get involved in the installation process with a full “turn-key” solution – starting with the Audi e-tron quattro.
If you are like me and your daily mileage is fairly low, you can get away with only plugging your EV in a regular 110-volt socket with your included mobile charger.
But if you have a more significant commute or you have to regularly drive your EV on fairly long distances, you are going to be better off with a more powerful home charging solution.
The cheapest more powerful option is to have a 240-volt outlet installed and again use your included mobile charger. Virtually all electricians are familiar with the installation of this equipment and the price will mainly depend on the location of the outlet versus the rest of the electrical infrastructure at your residence.
If those options don’t work for you, you might want to go with a home electric car charging station.
Right now, you have to buy them from the manufacturers or third-party retailers and arrange the installation with a local electrician.
Amazon is one of those third-party retailers and it already sells a pretty extensive selection of home charging stations from popular manufacturers like ChargePoint, eMotorwerks, Siemens and more.
Now with the launch of the Audi e-tron, we’ve learned that Amazon plans to also get involved in the installation process.
They wrote:
“Amazon Home Services will offer Audi e-tron buyers a fully digital experience where they can conveniently learn about EV home charging installation and equipment, view upfront pricing for electrical services, schedule an electrician to install an EV charger, and read helpful reviews from other Amazon customers. Amazon’s Happiness Guarantee backs all home charging installation services, so customers know it will be done to their satisfaction.”
Amazon Home Services is a marketplace for things like home cleaning and handyman work, but now it sounds like they will also add electrical work and combine it with their sales of home charging stations.
Scott Keogh, president of Audi of America, commented on the upcoming new service:
“When Audi does electric, we do it by bringing our customers the utmost in convenience and premium experience, In addition to our customers being able to reserve their e-tron online, we’re proud to work with a similarly customer-centric company like Amazon to make in-home charging simple and convenient for e-tron buyers.”
The Audi e-tron is the first vehicle to be included in the new service, which they apparently already started testing, but it will launch in full closer to the arrival of the e-tron in Q2 2019.