GM working to make EV charging accessible to multifamily residents

General Motors, envisioning a future where electric vehicles will be commonplace, is working to boost charging infrastructure for those who live in multifamily residences.

EV owners currently charge their vehicles at home or work 70% to 80% of the time. Most multifamily residents do not have easy access to charging stations at home, though, so their options are limited.

GM is working to make it easier for apartment renters and condominium owners to have access to chargers. It’s two to eight times cheaper to install charging infrastructure within new construction than in retrofits, an executive for the automaker pointed out in a recent interview with Multifamily Dive.

Thus, GM is working to encourage jurisdictions to address the charging infrastructure through code updates. The company is working with public and private partners to build out public charging stations. One initiative, the GM Dealer Community Charging Program, provides GM dealers with 10 chargers that can be placed anywhere in their community away from dealerships, giving the community a say on where they are located.

Roughly one in three office buildings in the largest U.S. cities are well suited to be converted to multifamily residential properties, according to a study by global real estate firm Avison Young. Some 6,206 buildings across 10 U.S. cities present viable opportunities for conversion to residential use.

The Shipyard Condos

Multifamily Housing | May 19, 2023

Biden administration beefs up energy efficiency standards on new federally funded housing

The Biden Administration recently moved to require more stringent energy efficiency standards on federally funded housing projects. Developers building homes with taxpayer funds will have to construct to the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) 2021 for low-density housing and American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers ASHRAE 90.1 for multi-family projects.

Shear Wall Selection for Wood-Framed Buildings

From wall bracing to FTAO, there are many ways to secure the walls of a building. Learn how to evaluate which method is best for a project.

A woman uses her iPhone to access the elevator and her apartment door.

The Key To Multifamily Access Control — Consistent Resident Experiences

Explore the challenges of multifamily access control and discover the key to consistent user experiences with a resident-first approach and open platforms.

Affordable Housing | May 17, 2023

Affordable housing advocates push for community-owned homes over investment properties

Panelists participating in a recent webinar hosted by the Urban Institute discussed various actions that could help alleviate the nation’s affordable housing crisis. Among the possible remedies: inclusionary zoning policies, various reforms to increase local affordable housing stock, and fees on new development to offset the impact on public infrastructure.

Multifamily Housing | May 16, 2023

Legislators aim to make office-to-housing conversions easier

Lawmakers around the country are looking for ways to spur conversions of office space to residential use.cSuch projects come with challenges such as inadequate plumbing, not enough exterior-facing windows, and footprints that don’t easily lend themselves to residential use. These conditions raise the cost for developers.

Rendering of Class A apartment building in Metuchen, N.J, that replaces a factory-warehouse.

Multifamily Housing | May 12, 2023

An industrial ‘eyesore’ is getting new life as an apartment complex

The project, in Metuchen, N.J., includes significant improvements to a nearby wildlife preserve.

Aegis Living Lake Union senior living community in Seattle aims to be world’s first to achieve Living Building Challenge designation

Senior Living Design | May 8, 2023

Seattle senior living community aims to be world’s first to achieve Living Building Challenge designation

Aegis Living Lake Union in Seattle is the world’s first assisted living community designed to meet the rigorous Living Building Challenge certification. Completed in 2022, the Ankrom Moisan-designed, 70,000 sf-building is fully electrified. All commercial dryers, domestic hot water, and kitchen equipment are powered by electricity in lieu of gas, which reduces the facility’s carbon footprint.