EV charging for condos
How to get your HOA or property manager to
say yes to electric vehicle charging
Turn your parking spot into your own personal fueling station
Most electric vehicle (EV) charging takes place at home or work, so why shouldn’t you be able to charge where you live?
With EV charging solutions from ChargePoint, you’ll wake up recharged knowing you’ll always be able to get to wherever the day takes you.
Find the right EV charging options for your property
Four easy steps to get started
Getting EV charging at your condo doesn’t have to be hard. Set yourself up for success by following these simple steps:
1
Assess your community's need for EV charging.
- Use this survey to collect data from your fellow community members.
- Share reasons why communities like yours are choosing to install EV charging.
2
Speak to your electrical contractor.
- You may have an on-site or preferred electrician, so ask your HOA board or community manager if you need to use them.
- If you don’t, here’s a list of ChargePoint-certified electricians.
- Talk to your electrician about service and panel upgrades, dedicated EV service, and leaving room for expansion.
3
Seek approval from your HOA or property manager.
- Compile the information from the surveys, the reasons for EV charging and any info from your contractor into a format your approver will review.
- Combine it with this list of incentives available in your area to help seal the deal.
4
Reach out to ChargePoint to get started.
- Congratulations, your project was approved! Now what?
- Give us a call at 1-866-480-2936, and we'll take it from there.
EV charging for any scenario
Charging at your condo is easy and convenient, no matter where you park. Take these options to your HOA or property manager to get started.
Personal charging
If you own your energy meter, personal charging is best for your home.
- Own the charging station.
- Get up and running with no expertise required — maintenance is included.
- Access 24/7 year-round support.
- Learn more about Home Flex.
Assigned charging
If you have a dedicated parking spot with a shared meter, assigned charging is best for your condo.
- Charge at an assigned charging station.
- Pay for charging yourself or let your property owner pay for it.
- Let your property owner handle installation and maintenance.
- Learn more about charging in condo communities.
Community charging
If you park in a different spot every day, community charging is best for your condo.
- Share a station with your neighbors.
- Easily check to see if the station’s available or get in line to charge.
- Let your property owner handle installation and maintenance.
- Learn more about CPF50.
Mixed-use charging
If your property offers public and resident charging, a mixed-use solution is best.
- Share charging with the public and other residents.
- Install a flexible solution for any use case and access level.
- Leverage Level 2 AC and DC fast charging.
- Learn more about CT4000.
ChargePoint makes condo charging make sense
ChargePoint is the leading and most open EV network in North America.
Property advantages
- Increase property value.
- Help owners sell their properties fast.
- Manage energy usage and costs.
- Reach property sustainability goals.
Comprehensive guidance
- Access financing options that make any project attainable.
- Get industry-leading advice on incentives.
- Make installation a breeze for your electrician with detailed specs — or use one of our validated teams for quick and painless installation.
“The real decision point [for going electric] was when my condo building installed four ChargePoint chargers into our underground, making charging my car a breeze. ... Plugging in my car is just as easy as plugging in my phone at night.”
What to tell your HOA or property manager about EV charging
- Charging attracts residents, increases satisfaction and meets sustainability goals.
- Approximately 59% of Gen Z, 56% of millennials and 48% of Gen X members want to buy an EV.
- More than 50% of residents think EV charging is required infrastructure.
- Incentives are available to fund EV charging at multifamily properties.
Ready to talk to your HOA?
Let us help. Personalize the attached letter (or write your own). You can also share this page so they can see the benefits for themselves.
Dear [HOA BOARD MEMBER/COMMUNITY MANAGER],
I hope you’re well. My name is [YOUR NAME], and I live at [YOUR ADDRESS]. I truly love living in this community, which is why I feel compelled to write to you today. I’ve always been impressed with your timely responses to resident needs, so I hope you can help me regarding my current situation.
Like me, you’ve probably noticed a lot more electric vehicles (EVs) on the road lately. In fact, with all the new incentives available and rules designed to phase out gas-powered cars in the coming years, I can’t imagine purchasing anything other than an EV for my next car. I know many of my neighbors feel the same way. That brings me to my question. Have you thought about offering EV charging to residents?
According to my friends who already drive electric, one of the main advantages is being able to charge their car at home. (In fact, statistically, most people do just that — upward of 90% according to most sources.) Most of the people I’ve spoken to would even be willing to pay a little extra for the privilege. Also, with the recent EV incentives from the government for both cars and charging infrastructure, it may make sense from a business perspective to consider offering it sooner rather than later too.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and to chat more about this. Since it looks like EVs are here to stay, I really believe this could be a win-win for everyone. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Sincerely,
[NAME]
[PHONE]
[EMAIL]
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EV charging for condo owners: FAQ
Getting EV charging at your condo can be complicated. We’re here to help. Here are answers to some questions that condo owners like you frequently have about EV charging at home.
Getting started
How do I get EV charging at my condo?
Here are four steps to getting yourself — and your complex — ready for EV charging:
- Assess your community’s need for charging:
- Share this community survey with your fellow residents.
- Review this e-book about EV readiness and why it matters to a shared residence, then share it with your HOA or community manager.
- Speak to your electrical contractor:
- Talk to your on-site or preferred electrical contractor. We recommend getting one or two quotes and, based on your bylaws, developing a budget.
- If they’re not ChargePoint-certified installers, point them to ChargePoint University; training is free and quick to complete.
- Identify the decision-maker:
- Reach out to people with titles such as community manager or HOA president.
- Present to your authority:
- Need (use the survey results from step one)
- Electrical contractor notes or bids for provisional approval and timeline identification
- Here’s an email you can send ahead of presenting to the HOA or community manager.
- Be prepared with information on incentives your property owner can take advantage of. Here’s a useful link.
- Once provisionally approved, call ChargePoint for help navigating the processes for installing charging stations.
How do I begin the installation process? What EV charging info should I discuss with my HOA, community manager or fellow residents?
- It can be helpful to begin by surveying your neighbors to find out how many people either already drive an EV or how many would drive electric if on-site charging was available. You can help encourage your HOA to install charging by emphasizing what you’ve learned.
- You can also share data that shows how many more future or current residents will be driving EVs to help them understand the opportunity they have to keep the property attractive (i.e., 40% of residents will be driving EVs in 20 years).
- Share why working with a high-quality hardware and software partner will help control installation, maintenance and energy costs.
- Be sure to mention the many incentives and other funding sources available for installing EV infrastructure, and how working with a company like ChargePoint can help maximize those incentive dollars.
- Share that ChargePoint has been in the EV fueling business since 2007 — before there was a single mass-market EV on the road. We know how to make offering EV charging easy for property owners.
How much does it cost to install EV charging at condos?
- Many factors can affect the cost of EV charging infrastructure, including available electrical supply, any necessary electrical upgrades, number of charging stations and models, and more. ChargePoint contractors will give you a competitive, line-itemized bid, so you can see exactly what you’re getting and how much it will cost.
- Cost shouldn’t have to be a barrier to getting EV charging at your condo. ChargePoint will help you make the most of available funds by identifying all the available local, state and federal incentives your property qualifies for. Our solutions will help keep energy costs down as well. We can even help you and your neighbors find ways to fund the installation of charging at your condo community.
What grants and rebates are available for EV charging at condos?
There are many rebates, grants and incentives available for purchasing and installing EV charging solutions at multifamily properties such as condos. We recommend visiting our dedicated incentives page for an idea of what’s available. ChargePoint can help maximize your investment for your specific area.
Installation
Where should we locate EV charging stations?
It’s usually cheapest to place chargers close to the electrical panel. However, if that is far away from where you typically park, it may be inconvenient. Think about balancing the location of your electrical supply with convenience. Typically, the farther from an electrical panel, the more expensive the project can become as installers will need to run conduit from the panel to the charger. When planning for where to locate chargers, think of convenience — not only for yourself but for any future owners of the property. Having conveniently located charging stations will be an attractive asset to future buyers.
What are the power requirements for EV charging at condos?
AC (Level 2) charging can fully charge most EVs overnight (providing about 20 to 30 miles of charge per hour) and requires a 240-volt AC power supply. Depending on the number of chargers required, your property may need an electrical upgrade as well. Keep in mind that because many cars will only need about 50 or 60 miles of charge in an evening, using ChargePoint power management software can distribute electricity across multiple stations. In fact, power management can help you reduce overall power requirements while charging the maximum number of cars.
Costs
What payment options exist for EV charging at condos?
- For personal charging in deeded or assigned spots, it’s typically considered fair for the HOA to pay for the installation, EV charging station hardware costs, and any ongoing networking or service fees. The use of common-area electricity is often the responsibility of the condo owner. There are two common options for upgrading electrical panels and infrastructure:
- Hub and spoke: The HOA pays for a new “hub” EV panel in the electrical room or close to parking spots. EV owners can then pay to install a charging station “spoke” from that panel. Selling access to the panel pays for the cost of installation over time.
- Charging fund: Organize a group of current and future EV drivers to subsidize a new electrical panel for charging. Everyone who contributes gets to claim a spot first. Typically, the HOA will authorize the work but only a select group pays for it.
Who pays for the actual electricity usage?
Your HOA will be able to set the pricing however they see fit and agreed upon by the residents. ChargePoint then tracks usage and does all the billing and payment processing from the driver on the backend and then deposits the revenue back to the HOA.
Other topics
How are EV charging policies for HOAs created for condos?
- After getting a better idea of the EV charging installation project scope, your HOA can develop an EV charging policy that establishes how to divide costs, provide access to charging and manage EV charging operations. Your proposed EV charging policy should consider:
- Who pays for installation, equipment, operation and maintenance?
- Who is the standard EV charging provider?
- What are the payment deadlines and processes?
- What are the rules for repair or removal of equipment?
- What are the insurance requirements?
- What are the rules guiding the use of shared charging stations?
- How do residents sign up for a charging station (if implementing personal charging)?
- Who is responsible for managing the relationship with the EV charging provider?
- Click here to view a sample policy.
How do we maintain EV chargers at condos?
Don't worry about it — ChargePoint partners will handle the maintenance costs when you have ChargePoint Assure. (Whew, that was easy!)
Are charging stations compatible with all types of EVs?
ChargePoint solutions are compatible with every EV on the market. As the industry leader, we are dedicated to ensuring that this is true today as well as in the future.
How will EV charging at my condo impact sustainability?
ChargePoint provides reporting to you and your HOA on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions avoided using EV charging. You can feel good about your sustainable choices and share your emissions savings data with your friends and neighbors. GHG reporting can also help your HOA or property management company evaluate progress toward its own corporate sustainability goals.
What support do I have in requesting EV charging?
- Many states have “right to charge” laws that require property owners at certain types of properties to approve requests for charging for residents like you who need it. Laws vary by state but typically require EV drivers to provide a written request for charging to their HOA or property manager. You may need to pay for the installation but the property cannot deny the request.
- For more information, click here.
