Is $3,600 too much for a Level 2 charger install if I dig?

Starting about a foot out from the foundation is the sweet spot. It gives you plenty of clearance to avoid hitting the footings or any drainage tile with the trencher. If you're nervous about the machine's reach, just hand-dig the first two feet away from the wall and then start the power equipment from there.

You shoud reconsider using 80 feet of liquidtight flexible PVC. It's incredibly difficult to pull wire trough that much flex, and it's unnecessarily expensive. Use **Schedule 40 PVC** for the underground portion instead. Also, don't try to pull UF-B cable through it. Pull individual **THWN-2 conductors**. It's much easier to pull and you won't have to fight the friction of a jacketed cable inside a pipe. For the outlets, you can't just share the charger circuit. You’ll need to run a larger feeder from your main panel to a small **sub-panel** at the parking area. This allows you to have a dedicated 60A breaker for the car and a separate 20A breaker for your vacuum and lights. It's the only way to do it that meets code and keeps everything safe. Definitely hardwire the charger instead of using a plug-in receptacle. Most modern EVSEs have built-in ground fault protection, and when you plug them into a GFCI-protected outlet (wich is required by code for garage or outdoor outlets), they often trip each other constantly. Hardwiring eliminates that nuisance tripping and allows you to use the full 48-amp charging speed on a 60-amp circuit. Stick with high-quality brands like **Square D** or **Hubbell** from a real electrical supply house rather than buying the cheap stuff online.

That sub-panel idea sounds way better than what I was thinking, but does it need its own ground rod if it's out on a post? I'm also wondering about voltage drop over that 80 feet. I'd hate to spend all that money on thick wire and still have the car charge slower than it should. One more thing—if the trench is alredy open, is there any reason not to throw a second pipe in there for an ethernet cable? My Wi-Fi barely reaches the end of the driveway and I know these cars love thier software updates.

definately run that second pipe for ethernet. You’ll want it for smart charger updates or if you ever put a security camera out there later. Just keep the low-voltage in its own seperate conduit to avoid interference from the power lines.

On the ground rod, yeah, since it’s on a post and not attached to the house, most inspectors are going to require one. Also, for 80 feet, I’d seriously consider bumping up to #4 copper for the feeder. It’s a bit pricier, but it keeps the heat down and handles the voltage drop much better when you’re pulling a heavy load for hours on end.