Oyster Doubles Number of Charging Stations at Rockwell with ChargePoint Smart EV Charging
Oyster Development reduced costs at Rockwell condominium residences by installing puzzle parking instead of stand-alone spaces. ChargePoint delivered a turnkey solution with electric vehicle (EV) charging stations that were easily adapted for puzzle parking off-the-shelf and doubled the number of charging stations that could be installed with existing electrical capacity using Power Management.
Urban Living Meets EV Charging
Oyster Development builds modern high-density, mixed-use residential projects in the San Francisco Bay Area. Hands-on service, local market expertise and personal relationships differentiate Oyster and deliver superior results to homeowners, residents and investors.
Space is at a premium in dense urban environments. City dwellers may want to drive electric for environmental or cost reasons, but they often lack access to EV charging where they live. Oyster wanted to stand out by bringing EV charging to an urban property at a reasonable cost.
Oyster Speeds Development with Puzzle Parking and Attracts Buyers with EV Charging
At Rockwell, a new condominium community in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood, Oyster reduced development cost and time and accommodated more vehicles with puzzle parking, which stacks vehicles on multiple levels on a single garage floor. Alongside puzzle parking, Oyster wanted to attract buyers with EV charging. Typically, individual condo owners are forced to pay for expensive retrofitting to add a single EV charging station. By building in charging from the beginning, the project cost was much less than retrofitting would have been, and Rockwell was able to stand out from other properties.
“As a development company, we’re always looking for a competitive advantage. When we started our sales program, people asked if we had EV charging, so we saw the demand,” said Michael McCone, Vice President at Oyster. But Oyster needed to solve for adding EV charging alongside puzzle parking, as well as avoid making expensive electrical updates.
ChargePoint Maximizes Charging Availability with Power Management
ChargePoint’s pedestal mounted charging stations were not only ready for puzzle parking off-the-shelf, but also UL listed for Energy Management, which can charge more EVs without increasing electrical capacity by sharing available power across more stations. This maximizes the number of charging stations that can be deployed while ensuring each EV gets an adequate charge.
“ChargePoint worked with Oyster, our electrical contractor and the stacked parking contractor to push for the building department to approve what had never been done before: putting the charging stations on a moving platform,” says McCone. Hands-on involvement from ChargePoint and other team members allowed the entire system to pass inspection and get approved for use as the first instance of EV charging with puzzle parking in San Francisco.
Rockwell Sells More Units
Teamwork paid off. Puzzle parking and Power Management are now in service at Rockwell, where residents can gain access to convenient charging whether they have an EV now, plan to buy one in the future or just think a condo with a charging spot is a good investment. By installing charging upfront, Oyster saved money and attracted residents who would otherwise have bought homes elsewhere: “We’ve differentiated ourselves in the marketplace and made sales that we would not have made otherwise,” says McCone.
ChargePoint makes it easy for condo owners to start charging at Rockwell. A simple online dashboard allows property managers to monitor charging activity and report on greenhouse gas emissions avoided, helping EV owners demonstrate their environmental impact.
“The cost to the homeowner is much more affordable, which is why so many Rockwell residents purchased charging stations,” says Eric Nelson, General Manager at Rockwell. “And now with electric cars being a reality... this technology is here to stay.”
Very professional, focused, collaborative and transparent. Working with ChargePoint was a satisfying experience.
Michael McCone
Vice President
Oyster Development
Oyster Needed
- Reduce development time and expense
- Accommodate more vehicles in less space
- Meet California requirements for EV Ready construction
- Avoid expensive retrofitting to add charging later
ChargePoint Delivered
- Pedestal mounted chargers move easily with puzzle parking and are UL listed as
- Power Management software delivers 2X capacity, charging more EVs with existing electrical capacity
- Expert collaboration with property developers, city inspectors and electrical contractors
- EV charging is available at a reasonable price for condo owners who want it
At ChargePoint, we believe stories have the power to change the world.
Our customers share their stories because they’re passionate about the often-unforeseen ways the electrification of transportation has impacted their organizations. Like many companies around the globe, they’ve discovered that what’s good for the planet can also be good for business.
E-mobility is here to stay. Perhaps it’s time to tell your own story. Reach out to us at sales@chargepoint.com and let us know. We’d love to hear it.
