Charging an electric vehicle can be a bit of a problem for those who live in apartments, since they don’t have access to a charger that they could use overnight. That’s why apartment owners are somewhat of an untapped target audience for EV manufacturers, but that could change soon, with ChargePoint, the world’s leading EV infrastructure company, ready to offer EV charging stations at residential buildings.
The world’s largest EV charging network, with over 21,000 charging sites across the globe, has announced in a press release that it has developed a charging solution for condominiums and apartments, which will give residents the opportunity to charge their electric cars while at home. The company plans to install Level 2 charging stations at residential buildings, and property managers will have to make sure there are designated parking spaces that will be assigned to those who own an EV, and they will have to wire the parking spots.
ChargePoint says that property owners or managers will charge residents for the electricity they use, and they will be allowed to set the price. Residents will have the option to pay the property owner through their ChargePoint account for the electricity they use, and they will have to pay a one-time activation fee, in addition to a monthly subscription fee, but the company hasn’t released details on how much it would cost. On top of charging, residents will get 24/7 support from ChargePoint.
“With no long-term contract, property managers and tenants can participate in the program on a month-to-month basis. If a resident moves, the charging station will simply be deactivated until another EV driving resident decides to subscribe to the service. Drivers will be able to manage all of their home and public EV charging through the same ChargePoint mobile application they already use to satisfy their charging needs at work or around town,” said the company in the press release.
ChargePoint went on to state that tenants will be allowed to sign out of the service if they move to a different building, or decide to switch from an electric to a conventional car. The company cites statistics showing how lucrative this idea can be in the future. ChargePoint says that by 2020, the number of electric vehicles on U.S. roads is expected to reach 2.3 million, and cites data from the U.S. Department of Energy that shows 80 percent of EV charging occurs at EV owner’s homes, which means that installing EV chargers at multi-unit residential buildings could help the company expand its customer base drastically.
“Electric vehicles are here to stay and gaining in popularity. The competitive nature of the multi-family industry lends itself to adapting to consumer needs and allowing EV owners access to charging in the apartment environment seems a natural evolution. EV owners represent high quality residents and facilitating EV use helps us with our sustainability goals. It’s a win-win scenario,” says Rod Standard Development Director at Sobrato.