So you bought an electric vehicle. After the excitement of freeing yourself from the rising price of gas, reality sets in. Where will I charge it? If you’re a renter, and your landlord hasn’t moved toward greener technology, buying an electric vehicle (EV) may not even be an option for you.
While some multi-family housing operators are beginning to view charging stations as a necessary amenity, others feel the cost isn’t worth it. Although electric vehicles have been around for a little over a decade, consumer acceptance has been slow, with fully electric vehicles only making up about 1%, of vehicles on the road. However, a recent surge in sales of EVs points to a shift in public perception. That shift could be literally fueled, in part, by the price of gas.
Gas prices over the recent July 4th holiday weekend were a whopping $4.82 a gallon nationally, according to AAA. Prices like this are likely leading the surge in sales for electric vehicles. However, a change appears to be on the horizon. According to Car and Driver, the first 3 months of 2022 saw a 60 % jump in EV registrations!
Mike Burkentine, owner of the Burkentine Real Estate Group, a builder and land development company, says the industry needs to get on board. “We have 700 homes under construction in 2022. These are a mix of apartments and townhomes. Each rental townhome receives an outlet in the garage for car charging and the apartments receive dedicated EV parking spaces typically near the clubhouses. It has added costs to our community build-outs, but we have to be prepared for the future.”
While legislative action through the Federal Infrastructure Bill attempts to address range anxiety with a focus on highway charging stations, American motorists travel on average 30 miles per day. That points to the need for more at-home charging stations to provide the greatest benefit.
Tesla owner, Roy Moreira said that having a rental with a charging station in the garage was on his list of top priorities when searching for housing, 2nd only to location. “If I didn’t have an EV charger at my rental unit, I would be required to travel off-site, and then wait at least another hour or two for a charge.”
A coalition led by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), projects there will be 22 million EVs on U.S. roads in 2030, requiring more than 100,000 fast chargers. Mike Burkentine is embracing the new technology. “With nearly 10,000 rental homes in our pipeline, we’ve adopted a major initiative to deliver charging stations to the communities. We are brainstorming next steps to prepare for an electric boom!”