Apartment renters face challenges when it comes to charging their electric vehicles – from long wait times for public chargers, to lack of access to private garages for charger installation, it’s time that cities help their apartment dwellers find solutions.
The number of electric vehicles registered is growing and the rate at which these cities have to keep up with new power demand is high.
Jeff Allen, executive director of Forth, a nonprofit working for equity in electric vehicle ownership and charging access comments that “’there’s a mental shift that cities have to make to understand that promoting electric cars is also part of their sustainable transportation strategy’”.
Cities are getting innovative with public charging solutions – but these solutions aren’t always the most convenient or easy to implement. Policies also need to be in place to support zoning regulations and curbside accessibility.
Many cities are adding EV pole chargers and strategically placing them near apartment complexes or amenities. London, for example, is ahead of the U.S. in the number of public chargers on street lights, currently sitting at 4,000. Though, London street lights operate on 240 volts, as compared to 120 volts in most U.S. cities – this is an advantage because charging can occur more quickly at 240 volts.
The utility Seattle City Light is launching a new pilot program installing public Level 2 chargers at curbside locations throughout the city. Offering public chargers in residential neighborhoods will help EV drivers charge closer to their homes, especially when off-street parking is difficult to access.
Public charging initiatives in cities, particularly in neighborhoods where people face difficulty charging at home, are good steps towards increasing charging access. But while public charger capacity still isn’t enough to meet the demand of EVs on the road, what other steps can be implemented? Should public chargers be available to reserve? Should multi-family dwellings with private charging offer chargers to the public? If EV adoption continues at the rate it’s going, the need for public charging will become indispensable.
