WORKING PAPER - Electric vehicle charging at multifamily homes in the United

The authors thank Vanessa Warheit with the EV Charging for All Coalition and Dennis Corelis, formerly with the Division of the State Architect for the State of California, for sharing their insights and expertise on electric vehicle charging building codes. [...] For example, the cities of Los Altos and Cupertino both require Level 2 EV-ready spaces for 10% of units and Level 1 EV-ready spaces for the remainder.20 Understanding and tailoring building codes to meet the charging needs of residents in affordable housing can keep construction costs low while providing charging to as many residents as possible. [...] MFHs built prior to the 1980s—about 43% of MFHs in the United States, according to the one analysis—often require significant refurbishment to support the electrical needs of EV charging.32 For these buildings, it can be prohibitively expensive to install charging, which could require upgrades to the nearest panel, installation of new panels, or even electrical service upgrades. [...] Utilities can help entice private investment in charging hubs near MFHs through tolling agreements, whereby a charging provider pays the upfront capital costs for installing a charging hub while the utility assumes the responsibility of rate setting, paying for the electricity delivered, and paying a recurring fee to the charging provider to help recover capital expenditures. [...] For example, the British Columbia Clean BC EV-Ready Rebate program, launched in 2021, offers rebates for existing MFHs to create EV-Ready Plans that assess the electrical needs and costs to fully retrofit with EV chargers.61 Similarly, the Netherlands offers subsidies for consultant reports that assess an MFH and recommend the best option for future-proofed EV charging installations on the propert.