How to Handle Electric Vehicle Charging at the CondominiumS.M. from Milwaukee, Wisconsin writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
Have any condominium buildings installed meters for electric vehicles? If so, are they individual units or just a few charging stations? Also, what type & cost? This issue is right around the corner for all of us!
Mister Condo replies:
S.M., plenty of condominium buildings have installed electric vehicle (EV) chargers. The demand for EVs has risen sharply and there is really no end in sight. Newly built condominium buildings often have EV charging stations as part of their common amenities. Older buildings, like yours, are faced with the challenge of handling the demand. If enough unit owners wish to pursue the EV charging station, the Board will need to weight its options. There are many challenges and no easy solutions. Parking is usually tight to begin with so dedicating a number of spaces for EV charging can be quite disruptive to the traditional parking pattern. The Board is empowered to make these decisions and there are resources to help. A great place to start is here: https://www.caionline.org/Advocacy/PublicPolicies/Pages/electric-vehicle-charging.aspx. I am not aware of any current laws in Wisconsin that require the Board to allow EV charging stations, but, like you said, it is likely just a matter of time. The Board would be wise to get ahead of this issue before it becomes a problem. All the best!
As an owner with an EV I have to say that charging looks much different from my point of view than it may to many who do not own EVs. Charging stations in individual units with garages that have their own meters can be very convenient and provide plenty of savings over gas. But common facilities can have limitations. Sharing between vehicles means you cannot just pull up and charge and get your vehicle whenever you want to leave. You may have to wait and return to move and plug in your vehicle hours later, and then unplug and move it later when it is charged. Also many public chargers cost much more than electric rates so that public charging can be expensive, often more than gas.