Scarborough · Toronto Hydro service area
EV charger installation for Scarborough homes
Scarborough driveways make home charging easy. The harder question is capacity, especially in a house that already powers a basement suite. We check the load for the whole house, then run a dedicated Level 2 circuit to where you park.
Scarborough parking
Short runs and full panels
Scarborough was laid out with driveways, and nearly every house has one. Side-splits and many backsplits have an attached garage built into the lower level. In those homes the panel often sits on the garage wall or just inside, so the circuit run to a charger can be short.
Bungalows in Wexford and Bendale more often have a driveway beside the house and the panel in the basement. A charger on the outside wall near the front of the driveway is a common choice there. In Guildwood and Birch Cliff, a detached garage at the back of a deeper lot needs a longer, often underground, run.
The tighter question is capacity. A Level 2 charger is one of the largest loads a house can carry, often for hours each night. Add a basement suite with its own kitchen and laundry, and a 100 amp service can run out of room.
The load check
Will your Scarborough service carry a charger?
Here's how the answer usually comes out. Your load calculation is what decides it.
| Your house | Likely answer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 100 amps, single household, gas heat | Often a dedicated circuit fits | Gas appliances leave room on the service |
| 100 amps with a basement suite | Load management or a service upgrade | Two kitchens and two laundries already use much of the capacity |
| 200 amps with spare spaces | Usually straightforward | Enough headroom for the charger and normal use |
| Two chargers planned | A shared-circuit setup or an upgrade | Two full-size circuits can exceed even a busy 200 amp service |
How it's installed
From the panel to the parking spot
Attached garage on a split-level
Short run from a nearby panel, charger on the garage wall.
Driveway beside a bungalow
Circuit out through the basement wall to a weather-rated charger.
Detached garage near the Bluffs
Underground feed across the yard, sometimes with a garage sub-panel.
Townhouse or condo parking
Proposal to the corporation, then installation once approved.
If the load check says the service is too small, we can upgrade it and wire the charger in the same project. See panel upgrades in Scarborough.
Sharing capacity
When a load management device makes sense
A load management device watches what the house is drawing and lowers or pauses the charger when demand is high. Because most charging happens overnight, the car still fills while everyone sleeps. In a Scarborough house with a suite, it can be the difference between adding a charger now and waiting for a service upgrade. We'll tell you honestly which route suits your house. For charger types and speeds, see our EV chargers page.
Questions
EV chargers in Scarborough: questions
Our side-split's panel is in the garage. Does that make a charger easier?
Often, yes. When the panel is on the garage wall or just inside the lower level, the circuit run to the charger can be short. That means less cable and fewer openings. We still check capacity first.
Both we and our basement tenant want to charge cars. Is that possible?
Sometimes. Two chargers on top of two households is a lot to ask of one service. Chargers that share a circuit, a load management device or a service upgrade can each make it work. A load calculation tells us which one fits your house.
We live in a condominium townhouse in L'Amoreaux. Who has to approve a charger?
The condominium corporation, usually through its board and property manager. They need to know where power will come from, how it will be metered and whether common elements are affected. We can assess the electrical side and give them a proposal.
Is your work guaranteed?
Every job comes with our 1-year workmanship warranty. Products carry their own manufacturer warranties on top of that, and standby generators can be covered by extended manufacturer warranties.
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