Making EVs accessible to more drivers

by Eric Cohen

Approximately 4.8 million electric cars are driving around the U.S. today. While EV owners tend to love them – they are fun to drive, nimble, quiet, and a joy to charge at home – they have been disproportionately adopted by more affluent drivers with a dedicated parking spot. For broader adoption, more people need to have confidence that they, too, will be able to charge, particularly if they live in a condo or apartment. Several states and cities aiming to expand EV use are now trying different measures to make EV charging more accessible, including enacting what are called “Right to Charge” (RTC) laws.

RTC laws provide residents at multi-unit dwellings (and other properties) with the right to install a charging station for the individual’s use provided that certain conditions are met (e.g., the individual assumes responsibility for all associated costs). The laws do not require homeowner associations or rental property building owners/managers to pay for charging for an individual’s use or to install charging as an amenity for multiple owners. [1]

Making EV ownership practical for more drivers 

Roughly 28% of the total housing units in the US are in multi-family structures with two or more units. That’s over 40 million households. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 64% of homes are owner-occupied while 36% are renter-occupied. Everyone wants the ease and convenience of charging at home, but it can be difficult in a multi-family structure. Older buildings often need to be retrofitted with upgraded electric panels, and newer buildings may not have figured out how to manage who will pay for chargers, where they should go, or how to meter and allocate the energy being consumed. In addition …

•    There is no uniform solution; each installation varies depending on parking layout, building design, and ownership model – that means someone has to lead the way
•    Potential up-front costs such as upgrades to electrical infrastructure and wiring are a hard initial barrier to overcome
•    It’s unclear who is responsible for costs of installation, operation, and maintenance 
•    Even if a resident is willing to manage all this, permission is often needed from homeowner association or property manager to install charging equipment

As a result, cities, states – and countries – are addressing these challenges in a variety of ways. Their call to action is based upon the fact that the ability to charge at home is the easiest way to own an EV:

•    Overnight charging offers overwhelming convenience
•    Charging at home is generally less expensive than paying for public charging
•    Time-of-Use Rates can further reduce already low re-fueling costs
•    The likelihood to purchase an EV rises dramatically when people know they can reliably access charging  

How is EV charging being addressed?

In the United States, 10 states (as of this post) are working to lift the barrier to EV ownership by enacting RTC laws. In general, these statutes require that all parking spots at new homes and multi-unit dwellings be wired so they’re ready for EV chargers to be installed. (Note: Statutes vary by jurisdiction; some apply to owners, some to renters, and some to both.) Of course, this is only the first stage in growing EV use. Once this is established, apartment building managers, condo associations, and residents need to figure out how to make charging efficient, affordable, for those who need it, when they need it.

But, it’s not just the United States. 

In Europe, the revised Energy Performance of the Buildings Directive (EPBD) obligates new buildings and those undergoing major renovations to either install charging stations or ensure the installation of ducting infrastructure in parking spaces. The Directive sets requirements for the number of charging points required per parking space in residential and non-residential buildings. 

In the upcoming years, the government of Tokyo, Japan, plans to significantly increase the number of EV chargers in its apartment complexes. It is mandating their installation while increasing incentives for developers to achieve this. Tokyo will be the first city in Japan to mandate the inclusion of EV chargers in all new residential blocks beginning in 2025. All new structures will have to provide charging at 20% of parking spaces. 

Moving acoss Asia, several recent legislations have been passed to support EV charging infrastructure in Korea. Developers of new apartment complexes must plan to install EV chargers at 7% of parking spaces, rising to 10% from 2025. 

To move past the early adopters of electric vehicles to more mainstream buyers, it’s important that EV buyers have a place to charge that is affordable and convenient. Proactively building out that infrastructure today will pay off in the future.


[1] www.nescam.org