As EV owners install home chargers at an exponential rate, the trend overlooks a growing demographic of people who live in multi-unit dwellings (aka MuDs) who may not have a place to put one. So, what does the future of EV charging look like for EV owners who live in MuDs?
Nearly 44 million residences, or 31.4% of housing, in the U.S. today is multi-unit (also referred to as multifamily), which includes apartment buildings, condominiums, townhouses and mixed-used developments, according to a 2019 survey conducted by the American Housing Survey and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Many of these residents are undoubtedly buying EVs, as, not surprisingly, EV sales in the US continue to skyrocket. Nearly 300,000 new electric vehicles (EVs) were sold in the U.S. in Q2, a record on its own and an increase of 48.4% from Q2 2022. Add to this President Biden's dedication to the IRA, which aims to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, there are many incentives to driving electric.
Doing the math, these factors meshed together means there’s a greater chance that EV owners who live in MuDs can charge where they live someday soon. But there are some huge issues for building owners to overcome, such as demand, cost recovery, charging options, and logistics, according to the Plug-In Electric Vehicle Charging Guide by California Plug-In Electric Collaborative.
If you are a MuD resident and you want to nudge the process along, here are a few benefits you can share with your property owner or manager to help convince them to install EV chargers:
+Adding electric vehicle charging stations to multifamily housing can help attract and retain residents, according to the US Department of Energy
+Building owners may be able to take advantage of state or utility incentives for installing charging infrastructure
+Installing EV chargers can give the property a forward-thinking, sustainable appeal which can be used to attract new residents, particularly EV owners
+Installing EV chargers can help properties earn points toward Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Certification, a stringent code for buildings to qualify as “green”
California was one of the first states to jump on installing EV charging at MuDs and offers us a few successful case studies. Here are a few more things to consider to advocate for getting chargers installed where you live:
+Learn the laws in your local community and state. See if you can jump on any initiatives to create new laws that support EV charging
+Talk to your neighbors and gather support of the EV or would-be EV owners in your building
+Research different chargers. The units and features you choose will depend on your specific property’s requirements and will determine associated costs
+Figure out the costs of chargers and how much you and the other residents are willing to cover of the cost of charger installation and electricity
+Look into state and regional incentives for charging station installations may be available to individuals or businesses
At Nxu, our stance is the nation's energy infrastructure simply isn't ready for the demand that EVs are creating. We are working around-the-clock to develop battery charging and energy storage solutions that will help create a sustainable infrastructure to keep EVs moving forward.
To hear more about the future of energy solutions and what Nxu's working on, check out our recent news segment on Fox 10.
