EV Owner
Since home charging is the most convenient and affordable way to power your car it is clear that you have a strong interest in getting EV charging available at your place of residence. This will require engaging and educating a lot of different stakeholders, so we would like to encourage you to be both active and patient. Sooner or later, all residential properties need to install EV charging.
How to proceed?
1. Check out the Charging 101 page on this site.
Even if you were already very knowledgeable on EV charging setups, it is good to read that page through. This is because other stakeholders will need this same information, so it should work as a good refresher.
2. Do the math
Visit the Tools page and download the Energy and Power calculation tool. Print a copy and fill in your numbers to get basic numbers on what the charging would look like in your case.
3. Contact your electric utility
Your electric utility company is happy to help you figure out the charging setup. Most utilities have special EV rates that provide cheaper electricity during off-peak hours and some even provide charging installation incentives. If you live in Minnesota, www.MNCharging.org provides you a direct link to your own electric utility.
4. Start the process
If you live in an apartment building you should start the actual process by talking with your building management company representative. Take your Power and Energy calculation with you and start talking with them about the best ways to have charging. You can also refer them to the Building Owners and Managers page of this site so they can get more educated on the topic.
If you live in a condominium you will need to engage the Homeowners Association (HOA.) If you know any board members, it is good to start the discussion with them. Again, you can share your Power and Energy calculation with them and talk about how you would like to charge your car. You can also refer them to the HOA page of this site so they can get more educated on the topic.
5. Work the process
This might take some time so be patient. Be available to share your perspectives and do your best to help different stakeholders move the process forward. Learn, educate, negotiate and work to find the right solutions.
Benefits
Essential service
One of the biggest advantages of EVs over internal combustion engine vehicles is that it can be powered with convenient home charging. That is why charging at the place of residence can be considered an essential service. Theoretically it is possible to drive an EV by relying on workplace and public charging, but it is much more inconvenient.
Preheating/cooling
Most EVs have the option to set your car to preheat or precool before you even get into the car. Home charging will allow you to fully enjoy this feature without using the vehicle batteries or shortening the range.
Battery thermal management
Most EVs have an active battery thermal management system, which keeps the main battery pack within the correct operating temperature range. If the vehicle is not plugged in, the system might have to use the energy stored in the battery pack to manage the temperature. This would lower the state of charge in the battery pack and therefore limit the available driving range.
Purchase decision influence
The knowledge that you can charge your vehicle at home will make an EV purchase decision much easier
Visit our Tools for tools, concepts and other useful resources. Our Power and Energy Calculator tool helps you figure out your charging needs and costs. Our Metering and Payment table shows different metering options and helps you figure out the right payment setup. And our Future Ready MUD Charging concepts provides you a basic model that you can use as a planning foundation.