REMI
Hwisel EV

Preparing for the EV onslaught

Is your apartment building ready?
Tuesday, February 28, 2023

The days of sitting back and waiting to see how Canadians embrace the electric vehicle (EV) movement are over. In 2022, the federal government announced it is mandating electric car sales as of 2026. This means rental housing owners and operators must act decisively if they want to choose a strategy to ensure their parking facilities are properly equipped at a cost that isn’t prohibitive.

But getting that ball rolling isn’t easy. It can be daunting and confusing, especially given the way EVs have been slow to catch on, with costly upfront considerations creating buyer hesitancy. While developers of new single-family homes and multi-residential buildings can include zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure in their building plans, existing properties aren’t so lucky. Most high-rise apartments today are underequipped to meet the current level of EV need, let alone what is projected. All around the world, governments are targeting for a complete switch to EVs by 2030 or shortly thereafter.

Here in Canada, car manufacturers will be subject to penalties for not producing and selling the right quota of electric cars as it progresses towards its target of reaching 100% ZEV sales by 2035. Annually, that translates to approximately 395,000 new ZEV sales in 2026, 1.2 million new ZEV sales in 2030, and 2.0 million new ZEV sales in 2035.

“As we are seeing in European markets and in some U.S. states, the mandating of electric cars will require a huge investment in charging infrastructure to meet the influx of need,” said John Nassar, Founder at Hwisel EV, a company that specializes in supplying, installing, and managing EV charging Infrastructure. “Right now in Canada, many apartment owners are struggling to figure out the best way to implement this technology in a manner that will benefit current and future residents without breaking the bank.”

With so few EV drivers to accommodate in the past, charging stations in apartment buildings were few and far between. But that’s no longer the case. With EVs on the rise at a rate expected to escalate, potential tenants will be looking for buildings that offer on-site charging, making the investment in infrastructure a necessity rather than an advantage.

The good news is landlords today can avoid the costs and operational headaches associated with EV technology by choosing a solution that removes them from the process. According to Nassar, the approach is similar to how Bell, Rogers, and Telus provide their Internet, cable, and phone services directly to the unitholder, and not the owner of the building.

“Going this route, apartment owners do not own or pay for the infrastructure or the electricity; rather it is provided directly to the tenant as a service, transferring all operational costs and obligations onto the supplier, and providing key savings,” he said.  “Additionally, since all buildings need a service provider to bill and collect electricity charges from EV users (even if they purchase the infrastructure), extending the service to also include the infrastructure makes sense. For a small additional monthly fee, they get a complete solution that is equitable, does not require an investment, and is turnkey.”

Level 2 or Level 3?

In addition to strategy and service considerations, another important distinction is the level of charging equipment to install for the majority of users. While Level 2 chargers are considered to be fast, effective and affordable by current standards, Level 3 is the fastest charging system available, but requires significantly more power. As such, there are limitations to where this charger can be installed.

“At Hwisel, we provide worry-free Level 2 and Level 3 stations for direct purchase, or through affordable monthly plans,” said Nassar. “Additionally, our unique monitoring service allows us to fix EV charging issues remotely and deliver software upgrades, helping our customers save time, energy, and money.”

Find out more about which EV plan is right for you at www.hwisel.com

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