As electric vehicles become increasingly popular and supported by public policy, several of the enclaves in False Creek South face share a common problem: how can they best respond to the increasing demand among residents for in-building charging opportunities? While the City of Vancouver has mandated that new buildings be charging-ready, and other cities have effectively instituted a “right to charge” in older buildings as well, local stratas and co-ops for now have to work it out for themselves. (https://vancouversun.com/opinion/op-ed/jess-dawe-and-ian-neville-benefits-of-electric-cars-are-undeniable-and-inaccessible-to-many-condo-dwellers).

Long-time FCS resident and environmental advocate Charlie Richmond has some practical advice for all who are interested:

As a representative to the FCSNA council, I am often asked how to set up EV charging since our enclave has done it in three locations.  There are basically two charging options for parkades:

  1. One or more Type 2 (medium speed) charger(s) installed in a location where anyone can park temporarily and charge for a few hours then move their EV to their regularly assigned parking spot.
  2. An electrical outlet located at the resident’s stall.

The B.C. Government has recently announced a $2000 rebate ( https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2019EMPR0108-001853 ) which is available for the installation of a Level 2 charging station designed for multiple users in condominiums, apartments and workplaces. Up to five hours of free support services from an EV charging station advisor are also available for condominiums, apartments and workplaces seeking to address their EV charging needs. I heartily recommend that any enclave considering this option investigate the offer as soon as possible since all applications must be submitted by March 31, 2020.

If installing a charger for multiple users is not practical, then option 2 is usually relatively easy to implement.  Every EV is capable of Level 1 (slow speed) charging from a standard 120 Volt electrical outlet so simply having an electrician install one adjacent to the resident’s parking space is the easiest way to do this.  Depending on the logistics of each type of EV plug in system and the needs of the enclave, it may be advised to provide a minor support structure around it and/or place it inside a secure enclosure.  A simple plug in meter that measures electrical consumption can also be used at this location to keep track of the amount of electricity used.

Each outlet must be wired to its own dedicated circuit breaker, ideally in the electrical panel of the corresponding strata unit so that electrical consumption is automatically billed.  An electrician can determine if this is practical and of course in many circumstances it is not.  In this case, the cable must be run to the nearest power source and sometimes it is logical to install a localised breaker panel that can contain multiple EV breakers as the demand increases.  If council is not amenable to this, then the cable will need to be run to the nearest existing panel and a dedicated circuit breaker installed.

I hope this briefly explains most typical situations and answers your questions until you actually explore your own unique needs!  I’m always available by email to clarify and answer whatever questions you might have!  *email is hidden, JavaScript is required*