Electric car charging in condo buildings!

Charlotte Argue, a program manager with Plug In BC, a group that works to promote electric vehicle use, says the convenience and affordability of being able to charge at home is one of the most important factors that goes into the calculation of whether to buy an electric car.

 

She says it's unfair for that decision to be at the mercy of a strata council or building manager.

"We do hear of people requesting charging at their building and being denied by their strata corporation or their building manager," said Argue.

 

"Sometimes they're misinformed ... other times it's because they don't like the perceived perception of one or two people in that building getting that perk or a subsidized benefit compared to everyone else."

"perceived" perception?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 24 March 2019 - 06:44 PM.

If buyers purchase a residence in a strata that does not already have EV charging (which should always be individually metered and billed to the user or users), I do not think it is unreasonable for those buyers to cover all the installation and usage charges of adding such a service. It is not reasonable for an existing strata to have to accommodate EV owners any more than any other type of vehicle.

"perceived" perception?

Well her name is Argue so I assume she knows what that means.

What she is saying is that the collective of owners should not have a choice in whether or not one or more of the members of the collective requires a reconfiguration of the building’s electrical system.

Some buildings have rules about what you can hang inside your windows.

Anyone that buys an electrical vehicle before first figuring out where he’s going to plug it in...needs to give his head a shake. Oh and this electric car thing will plateau at some point when the guy that plugs the last car in ...trips the main breaker.

 Oh and this electric car thing will plateau at some point when the guy that plugs the last car in ...trips the main breaker.

i presume it might blow out if all 130 units used their clothes dryer and oven and stovetop and a hairdryer at the same time.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 March 2019 - 05:23 AM.

^ Yup, same type of thing happens if everyone flushes their toilet at the same time. 

It's called "demand factor". What are the odds?

The odds of overloading an electrical system however would increase when and if a number of electric vehicles plug in and charge their people mover overnight. 

The odds of overloading an electrical system however would increase when and if a number of electric vehicles plug in and charge their people mover overnight. 

not if it was designed so that the charge only takes place from 12:01am until 5:59am. and sorry if that does not work for your car tonight or your schedule or lifestyle choice then here is the $15/12-hours always-available charger. the one we have for the building. 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 March 2019 - 07:05 AM.

We have very few regular 100v outlets in our two year old building, so any sort of electric car charging would require extensive electrical expansion. 

do you have lights in your parkade? $150 gets you an outlet.

do you have the shift keys or caps lock key on your keyboard?

do you have lights in your parkade? $150 gets you an outlet.

All those lights might be on one circuit.  Not going to charge many cars from that!

All those lights might be on one circuit.  Not going to charge many cars from that!

it'll be 20+ years before we have even 20% electric so lots of time to phase it in.

If buyers purchase a residence in a strata that does not already have EV charging (which should always be individually metered and billed to the user or users), I do not think it is unreasonable for those buyers to cover all the installation and usage charges of adding such a service. It is not reasonable for an existing strata to have to accommodate EV owners any more than any other type of vehicle.

+1 If you have an EV you buy into a building where there is nothing in place your problem, not the stratas.

Re overloading you can set when the car charges and how much power the car will pull.