[EVTrucking]

I own a home and therefore I can and do 99% of my charging at home. Which not only
convenient but is also wildly cheaper than public chargers.

I am surrounded by apartment and condo complexes and can’t help but wonder if EV ownership is destined for only home owners.

Are there any solutions in the works? Or will non home owners have to be inconvenienced and pay the much higher charging costs?

 

[Flapjacks]

Before we bought our house, we were renting a house and the owner wouldn’t allow us to install a charger (at our cost), so we had to park our car at the nearby mall to charge. Renting makes it tough to have a consistent safe charging arrangement. Seattle briefly had a program this year that allowed you to request a L2 charger be installed at a street parking location, accessible to the public…I think the rates were slightly lower than typical DCFC rates, but still higher than home electric rates.

 

[Burbman]

As an apartment developer, I can tell you that over the past five years, we have had to start installing EV chargers at our properties. It started at 1 per 100 units, and is now up to 1 per 10. So far, we are seeing minimal usage, will need user demand to pick up before things go much beyond this level. This is obviously only for new construction, existing will be a challenge, and will have to rely on public infrastructure.

 

[EVTrucking]

As an apartment developer, I can tell you that over the past five years, we have had to start installing EV chargers at our properties. It started at 1 per 100 units, and is now up to 1 per 10. So far, we are seeing minimal usage, will need user demand to pick up before things go much beyond this level. This is obviously only for new construction, existing will be a challenge, and will have to rely on public infrastructure.

It is good to hear that at least new construction is installing chargers. Is it a law or just good practice?

Are the chargers free? If not what is charge per kW?

Would it be possible to run a weather protected locking 220v 60 amp outlet to each assigned parking space?

 

[Burbman]

Building code requirement for now.

Chargers are independently operated by a company that then reimburses the property owner for the cost of electricity used. I do not know how much they charge.

Running electrical conduit to every single parking spot would be cost prohibitive, even in a parking garage where costs already exceed $30K per stall.

 

[EVTrucking]

Building code requirement for now.

Chargers are independently operated by a company that then reimburses the property owner for the cost of electricity used. I do not know how much they charge.

Running electrical conduit to every single parking spot would be cost prohibitive, even in a parking garage where costs already exceed $30K per stall.

I forgot about parking garages. No good solutions as yet. If restaurants, malls, work places, eventually all had chargers then folks could top off frequently at convenient times but the cost in charging fees will be high.

Fortunately supply chain issues and now runaway inflation has significantly slowed EV ownership allowing the grid and charging networks to possibly catch up and keep pace.

For the foreseeable future home owners have a significant advantage over renters when it comes to EV ownership.

 

[Holeydonut]

Yeah, homeowners are also able to put solar panels on their roofs and take advantage of green-charging from a renewable resource. Conservative media often paint EVs as dirty because utility scale energy comes from coal, natural gas, and other non-renewable sources. There are also conservative think tanks that often publish papers to describe this "dirty grid energy" issue. So many folks are led to believe charging an EV is harmful and the manufacturing of the batteries is harmful, therefore EVs = suck.

Currently only homeowners can charge their EVs with clean energy generated by rooftop solar panels. Solar charging while at work seems light-years (pun) behind residential solar charging. But eventually ... if someone can charge with solar at work or at home, this will be a significant hurdle necessary to sway optics to a truly clean EV ecosystem. I'm sure the anti-EV crowd will still complain about how solar panels are difficult to recycle and contain chemicals lol.

Even in California, there are a ton of entrenched folks that think EVs are just some way to give Power to the Chinese (raw materials for batteries) or to the natural gas lobby (peaker plants).

 

[EVTrucking]

Yeah, homeowners are also able to put solar panels on their roofs and take advantage of green-charging from a renewable resource. Conservative media often paint EVs as dirty because utility scale energy comes from coal, natural gas, and other non-renewable sources. There are also conservative think tanks that often publish papers to describe this "dirty grid energy" issue. So many folks are led to believe charging an EV is harmful and the manufacturing of the batteries is harmful, therefore EVs = suck.

Currently only homeowners can charge their EVs with clean energy generated by rooftop solar panels. Solar charging while at work seems light-years (pun) behind residential solar charging. But eventually ... if someone can charge with solar at work or at home, this will be a significant hurdle necessary to sway optics to a truly clean EV ecosystem. I'm sure the anti-EV crowd will still complain about how solar panels are difficult to recycle and contain chemicals lol.

Even in California, there are a ton of entrenched folks that think EVs are just some way to give Power to the Chinese (raw materials for batteries) or to the natural gas lobby (peaker plants).

I think the transition from petroleum to EV or some other transportation technology is inevitable but it will take longer than I expected. Supply chain, inflation, recession, Russia, China, North Korea ect will slow the adoption significantly.

Regardless of why hundreds of thousands of folks have purchased an EV and are standing in line to purchase one they are fueling the move away from ICE.

 

[SilverDan]

Complexes in my area offer charging (several at least I noticed on PlugShare). Or just use DCFC. My BIL who doesn‘t have a hose is considering a Bolt, he would just DCFC.

 

[EVTrucking]

Complexes in my area offer charging (several at least I noticed on PlugShare). Or just use DCFC. My BIL who doesn‘t have a hose is considering a Bolt, he would just DCFC.

If a person is dedicated to switching to EV they will find away even if they are an apartment dweller. However, the point is that currently apartment dwellers not truly committed to EV will see EV as too much of an inconvenience. Home owners clearly have the advantage.