Are you aware of the requirements needed to be a licensed, bonded electrician? In my state you need at least 4000 hours of training bare minimum, higher tier licenses require more. This usually entails getting average pay for very dull work, for 2-4 years. Then you need tools, insurance, a vehicle (usually a diesel truck with lock boxes on the sides here), and a reliable employer. If you're starting your own small company and training others, that's a bit of a gamble as well.

Also, most electricians make more money doing new construction, especially condo or apartment buildings. You're getting charged that much because they could have made the same amount of money (or a bit less) putting those hours towards a bigger, longer term project. As someone who works in a skilled trade, I can guarantee they just didn't think your project was important or worth it (and they're right). They see someone who can afford an electric car, and they know what it's worth to you to charge it.

But hey, you could always just google it, do it yourself and hope the inspector doesn't notice. What's the worst that could happen?