California’s recently announced ban on the sale of new gas-powered vehicles starting in 2035—and New York’s recent decision to follow suit—are putting pressure on multifamily property owners to install charging stations for tenants.
Owners have numerous business models and potential partners that offer multiple types of incentives, making the formation of a strategy a complex undertaking. They must consider the costs for chargers and the potential need to install additional electrical capacity costing up to six figures per apartment building.
One option is to outsource chargers to third-party vendors, but vendors may be cool to the idea because of the current lack of a critical mass of users. Even if this option is available to them, owners could still be on the hook for installing electric infrastructure to support charging stations.
Some programs have been created to address that need. Southern California Edison, for example, earmarked $436 million to install 35,000 charge ports. The program focused on disadvantaged communities with 30% of funds dedicated for multifamily homes.
While that program has proven to be popular, attracting twice as many applicants as it can serve, the utility expects to run out of these funds by the end of the year. It’s important that landlords find solutions to the charger challenge soon, with demand from renters predicted to grow significantly in coming years as declining sticker prices of some EV models make them more attractive to a wider swath of the population.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Jun 1, 2021
Passive House standards proving their worth in multifamily sector
Energy performance beats conventionally built by 32% to 58%.
Codes and Standards | May 27, 2021
Pittsburgh combats construction fraud
Crackdown on tax, insurance, and workers’ comp malfeasance.
Codes and Standards | May 26, 2021
Proposal to add photovoltaic panels to the R2 Standard for electronics recycling
Hundreds of facilities in 33 countries could begin recycling PVs.
Codes and Standards | May 25, 2021
International Energy Agency lays out roadmap to net zero
Focus is on energy generation, but building efficiency also plays a role.
Codes and Standards | May 24, 2021
Biden Administration will make new investments in building energy efficiency
Focus on grid-interactive buildings; Energy Star expansion; new targets for energy, water reduction.
Codes and Standards | May 20, 2021
Solar panel trade group issues guidelines to rid use of components built with forced labor
Growing concern that PV industry is dependent on work camps in China.
Codes and Standards | May 19, 2021
Smart electric panels can aid transition to renewable energy
Allow customers better control of circuits; utilities can better manage demand.
Codes and Standards | May 18, 2021
Cross-laminated timber performs better than expected in shear test
Tests conducted in support of new criteria for design of CLT diaphragm.
Codes and Standards | May 17, 2021
Latest Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices criticized for not considering bikes, pedestrians
More than a dozen advocacy groups want feds to start over.
Codes and Standards | May 13, 2021
LEED-certified federal buildings don’t use less energy than average
May be due to trade-offs on how score is developed.
