7 minute read
The Future is Electric
Best practices for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations in HOAs.
By Hamlet Vazquez, MCAM-HR
Whether we like it or not, electric vehicles and their ever-present charging needs are here to stay. This is particularly true in California with the enactment of the Advanced Clean Cars II Regulation, which mandates that all new passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs sold in California have zero emissions by 2035. While that may seem far off, the regulation actually starts to take effect in about two years when in 2026, it will require that 35% of all new vehicles sold be zero-emission vehicles, progressing each year thereafter until it reaches 100% in 2035.
As community managers, we have a central role to play in this process, given that most, if not all, communities are not currently able to accommodate the charging needs of so many electric vehicles. Every community manager between now and 2035 will be involved in installing EV charging stations to one degree or another, particularly if you manage a mid- or high-rise community.
SO, WHERE DO WE BEGIN?
START HERE
I propose that we begin with your legal counsel and have them set out guidelines for the installation of EV charging stations, whether that be in single-family homes or in a mid/high-rise community. There are several legal considerations that we will not get into here, but suffice it to say that they are vital, and you should consult with your legal counsel before you do anything else. The Law Journal recently published an article on this very topic here.
Secondly, you will want to have an experienced electrician conduct a “Load Study” to help determine how many charging stations your current electrical infrastructure is able to accommodate without putting too much stress on it. This is particularly important in a mid/high rise. Even if you can currently install some charging stations, you will ultimately want your EV chargers to have their own separate meter and, if needed, their own transformer. There are incentives available (such as with Edison’s Rule 29) where the utility company will pay for the expansion of the infrastructure to accommodate electric vehicle charging stations. Below is an example of Edison’s Rule 29 and how it works:
WHO PAYS FOR THIS?
This takes us to the third consideration – who will pay? You will want to consult with your legal counsel regarding this, but generally, there are two sets of costs involved – first, the cost for the conduit that runs from the meter to the charger, the charger itself, and the electricity used to charge a vehicle, all of which are usually borne by the unit owner (if the charger is in the owner’s parking space); and secondly, the cost of the meter itself and any expanded infrastructure required, which is usually borne by the association and can be offset by incentives from the utility company. If these are common area chargers, then most of the cost will usually be the association’s, minus any rebates available. Each association is different, so make sure you confirm who pays with your legal counsel.
Once your board has adopted rules regarding the installation of EV chargers, determined how many you can currently accommodate and what kind of expansion you will need to undertake to support your resident’s demand for charging stations, and established how it will all be funded, you are ready to tackle the most challenging part of the process – managing resident expectations.
MANAGING EXPECTATIONS
“When will the EV charging stations be installed and ready for use?” and “How fast will the charging station charge my EV?” In my experience, those were the two most often asked questions that I faced, and answering them proved challenging, given several factors.
TIMING
When it comes to answering the question of timing, your answer will depend on two factors: First, do you need to expand your electrical infrastructure? If so, you will need to work with an electrician who is experienced with installing electrical infrastructure and EV charging stations. This is probably the most critical decision that you will make in this whole process, given that this company will set the pace of the installation. How many other jobs are they currently working on? Do they have the experienced personnel to get the job done on time? You may want to consider adding a “time of performance clause” that includes monetary penalties if the job is not completed within a certain time period, barring certain mutually agreed-upon circumstances. Delays by the electrical installer will frustrate your homeowners to no end, so it’s crucial to perform your due diligence and choose someone who has a track record of getting installations done in a timely manner.
Secondly, if you need to expand your infrastructure, do you have the funding, or will that need to be secured via a special assessment and/or utility rebates? Both of those can take time. In one instance, for one of my properties, it took almost two years to secure a utility rebate to pay for the installations.
So, unless your current electrical infrastructure is more than adequate and you have an experienced electrician ready to begin the installation, you must take the aforementioned variables into account when providing your owners with an estimate of when the EV chargers will be ready for use.
OUTPUT
The second challenging expectation to manage is the one behind the question, “How many miles will the EV charger add to my EV per hour?” Your answer to this question will depend on three factors:
• First, the amperage of the circuit breaker being installed (typically ranging from 20-100 amps). Once you know the amperage, multiply that by 80% to get the max amp output. If math is not your forte, simply ask your installer what amperage number to communicate to your residents. As you can see from the graphic on the next page, the amperage can make a significant difference –where a 20A circuit will generally get you 10-12 miles per hour, while a 100A circuit will get you 60-70 miles per hour. Note that these are all considered “Level 2” charging stations.
• A second factor is the vehicle itself – if it’s the Ford F-150 Lightning or Rivian R1S, it will only add about 11 miles per hour on a 24-amp circuit. If it’s a Tesla Model Y, it will add about 20 miles per hour on that same 24-amp circuit. The efficiency of the vehicle, its onboard charger, and battery capacity will make a significant difference.
• The third factor that your resident must consider is whether there are other vehicles charging simultaneously. The more vehicles charging at the same time, the slower the charge rate.
So, as you can see, answering the resident’s question, “How many miles will the EV charger add to my EV per hour?” is not as easy as it might first seem. Be careful to set the proper expectation and, to be safe, you might want to refer them to the multitude of websites that will estimate the miles per hour so long as they know the amperage and some basic information about their EV.
BILLING
A final consideration as you plan for the installation of charging stations is whether you will use a service provider with their own branded charging stations where they bill the resident directly for their usage and then reimburse the association. This might be particularly helpful for a mid-rise or high-rise community but be sure to have your legal counsel review any agreement since some will require you only to use them moving forward. Second only to choosing the correct electrician for the installation, choosing the correct service provider is next in importance, so do your due diligence and ask other managers who they use and whether they have been satisfied in terms of charger uptime, service response time, and ease of use for the residents.
As we look to a future of electrification, the professional community manager will be right at the center of it as we help guide our associations through the highly involved process of making charging our residents’ EVs as seamless as possible.
