EV Charging at Apartments Could Soon Be a Problem of the Past

EV Charging Deployment for Apartments

With over 44 million Americans living in apartments and growing demand for zero-emission electric vehicles, the need for EV charging solutions for these residents has never been higher.

Currently, over 90% of electric vehicle owners charge their cars at home. However, apartment residents often must share charging stations, which can lead to a frustrating customer experience and prevent them from fully benefiting from electric vehicle ownership. To address this issue, we believe that apartment residents should have access to designated home charging spaces, rather than relying on shared charging stations.

Now there’s absolutely no reason for apartments not to install EV chargers. Although some states; New York and California have passed “right to charge” laws allowing multiunit property residents to install EV charging stations, they do not require the rental property to pay for them.

A system like this encourages investment in critical areas of the EV rollout while encouraging drivers to go electric. If you had EV charging spots at your apartment, would you be more inclined to buy an EV?

There are lots of reasons why apartments will find it difficult to install chargers. Transformers aren't up to the task in most buildings, not all assigned parking spots can get "easy" access to power.

Parking spaces are a common element in many buildings which means the spot is not owned by the resident, the spot is assigned to them. The owner has a legal right to a spot but not anyone. If new lines are painted but the numbers are shifted down or up, then your parking spot will move. If chargers are installed in a shared parking area (formally visitors parking) it wouldn't be uncommon for chargers to be ICED or cars are just left in spots much longer than would be needed for charging. By taking up those spots there is much less visitors parking spots.

I have been wanting to by an EV for years but can't because of the charging situation in my building, I could pay for the charger to be installed but the pricing so far is estimated to be about $5-8 thousand $$. This includes the electrician, charging equipment, concrete, trench digger, arborist, permit and inspection etc. 

The EV revolution has a big hurdle to overcome.

The Edison Electric Institute is forecasting 26.4 million EVs will be on US roads in 2030. Considering most EV charging is done at home, apartment residents also need convenient options. Perhaps, more importantly, those living in apartments are often the most interested in going electric. A recent study shows 42% of Americans are considering buying an EV for their next vehicle, but that figure jumps to 55% among ages 18 to 29. Meanwhile, nearly 50% of people under 30 are renters. Do you see where this is going? Renters will play a critical role in the mass adoption of electric vehicles. Let’s give them some convenient chargers.