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Updated: May 2026
If you've just taken delivery of a Tesla, BYD, or Polestar and you're tired of driving out to public chargers, a home wallbox is the obvious next step. Public chargers around Dubai work fine until someone else's car is always parked at the one closest to home. Here's a plain-language overview of what an EV charger install looks like for a TAG villa, the DEWA Green Charger initiative, and the choices you'll need to make.
Neighbor's Tip
- Cable type matters more than brand. Check whether your EV uses Type 2 (almost everything in the UAE) before you buy.
- The DEWA Green Charger initiative gives EV owners free charging electricity until December 2029, but only through approved wallboxes registered with DEWA.
- Plan for two to four weeks from quote to commissioning. Community NOC plus DEWA approval take longer than the install itself.
Most Tilal Al Ghaf villas have driveways deep enough for two cars and a covered carport, which means the run from your consumer unit to the charger is usually 6 to 15 metres. A Level 1 plug-in charger would take 30+ hours to fully charge a Tesla Model Y, basically useless overnight. A Level 2 wallbox at 7.4 kW finishes the job in about 8 hours, and a 22 kW unit cuts it to under 4. For a BYD Atto 3 or Polestar 2, it's a similar story. Single-phase villas cap at 7.4 kW; three-phase supplies can run the full 22 kW, which is overkill for one car but useful if you've got two EVs in the house.
Level 1 is the cable that comes in the boot, plugs into a normal wall socket, charges at 2.3 kW. Skip it. Level 2 is the wallbox you mount in the carport, runs 7 to 22 kW, and handles every overnight scenario. DC fast chargers, the ones at ENOC and ADNOC, run 50 to 250 kW. You can't install those at home — the wiring, transformer, and DEWA permit cost more than a second car.
Almost every EV sold in the UAE since 2020 uses Type 2. That includes the entire Tesla lineup, every BYD model, Polestar 2, Audi e-tron, the Mercedes EQ family, and Lucid Air. A small number of older Nissan Leafs use Type 1, but if you bought your car new in Dubai, you're on Type 2. Buy a Type 2 wallbox and stop second-guessing it.
Tethered units have the cable permanently attached, easier daily use, and slightly uglier on the wall. Untethered means you bring your own cable each time, cleaner look, more flexible if you sell the car. Smart chargers (Wallbox Pulsar Plus, Easee Home, Tesla Wall Connector) connect to WiFi, schedule charging during cheap tariff windows, and track kWh through an app. Basic units just charge. For DEWA Green Charger compliance, you'll want a smart unit anyway.
DEWA's Green Charger initiative was extended in 2022 and currently offers free electricity for non-commercial EV charging at registered home wallboxes through 31 December 2029. To qualify, your wallbox has to be on DEWA's approved list, installed by a DEWA-certified contractor, and registered to your DEWA premise number. After registration, the kWh used by the charger is billed at zero AED on your monthly statement. Your normal household electricity is still billed normally.
The approved-brand list shifts every few months, but it generally includes Wallbox, Schneider EVlink, ABB Terra AC, Siemens VersiCharge, Tesla Wall Connector (Gen 3), and Easee Home. Off-brand wallboxes from Amazon or AliExpress will not be registered, even if they technically work. Worth confirming the current list with your contractor before you buy.
Costs vary widely depending on hardware choice, cable run, and whether your consumer unit needs an upgrade. Rough categories to budget around:
| Line item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Wallbox hardware (7.4 kW) | Wallbox Pulsar, Easee Home, Schneider — single-phase |
| Wallbox hardware (22 kW, three-phase) | Tesla Wall Connector, ABB Terra AC |
| Standard installation (cable run under 10m) | Conduit, breaker, mounting, commissioning |
| Long cable run or trenching | If charger is far from consumer unit |
| Consumer-unit upgrade (if needed) | Older villas may need a new RCD or sub-board |
| DEWA registration and inspection | Provider usually handles paperwork |
Get a site survey before committing — actual numbers depend on your specific villa layout and supply.
Faster than you'd think for the install itself, slower than you'd hope for the paperwork.
Days 1-3. Site survey. The contractor measures the cable run from your consumer unit to the proposed charger spot, checks your DEWA load capacity, and confirms whether you need a panel upgrade. Quote usually lands same day or next.
Days 4-10. TAG community NOC. You submit a request through the Dubai Holding Community Management portal or your community app, attach the contractor's method statement, and wait for approval. Plan on 5 to 10 working days.
Days 10-18. DEWA approval and Green Charger registration. The contractor submits drawings to DEWA. Approval is usually 5 to 7 days. Once approved, you're on the registered list.
Day 18-22. Install day. Mounting, conduit, cable pull, breaker, commissioning. Most installs are done in 4 to 6 hours. Test charge happens on the spot.
Total: roughly 18 to 28 days from first call to first home charge, faster if your community NOC moves quickly.
Emagine comes up in WhatsApp threads as a contractor that handles the full chain — wallbox selection, community NOC, DEWA paperwork, install, and Green Charger registration — so you're not chasing three separate companies for one charger.
Service: EV home charger supply, installation, DEWA Green Charger registration, and post-install support across the UAE.
Area coverage: Tilal Al Ghaf and wider Dubai.
Best for: Residents who want one team to manage wallbox selection, community NOC, DEWA paperwork, install, and Green Charger registration without playing project manager themselves.
If you're juggling charger logistics alongside the rest of moving in, take a look at all home services in Tilal Al Ghaf for the full directory. And if you want to keep your EV clean with at-home car wash, the same driveway works fine for both. Some neighbors coordinate their charger placement with garden and outdoor space planning, especially if the cable run cuts past planters or paving.
No. DEWA requires that any fixed EV charging equipment be installed by a DEWA-certified electrical contractor, and Tilal Al Ghaf community management requires an approved NOC before any wall-mounted electrical work. Even if you're handy, a DIY install voids your home insurance, your wallbox warranty, and disqualifies you from the Green Charger free-electricity benefit.
Long cable runs are common in TAG villas, where the consumer unit is often in the utility room and the carport sits 12 to 18 metres away. Your contractor will run conduit along the wall, through the ceiling void, or under the driveway pavers. Expect a higher bill for runs over 10 metres, but it doesn't slow the timeline meaningfully.
Yes. Every Type 2 wallbox sold in the UAE charges any Type 2 EV, regardless of brand. Tesla's Wall Connector charges a BYD Atto 3 fine, and a Wallbox Pulsar Plus charges a Tesla Model Y fine. The only Tesla-specific feature you'd lose on a non-Tesla wallbox is auto-authentication — you'll plug in manually instead of it recognising the car.
Yes, every time. Tilal Al Ghaf community management requires an NOC for any wall-mounted electrical equipment, including EV chargers, on the villa exterior or in the carport. Skipping it puts you at risk of being asked to remove the unit later, and it disqualifies the install from DEWA Green Charger registration. Your contractor should handle the NOC submission as part of the package.
If you've just brought home your first EV, getting the charger sorted early saves a lot of public-charger detours. The basics line up nicely: free electricity through 2029, an 8-hour overnight charge, and a clean driveway setup. Get a site survey booked, sort the NOC, and you'll be charging at home inside a month.
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