With EV adoption continuing to accelerate, the days of taking a wait-and-see approach to EV charging is over. For property owners, managers, and HOAs, offering EV charging is becoming not just an important component of preparing your apartment or condo for the future, but a valuable amenity residents are looking for – now.
EverCharge has been deploying comprehensive charging solutions at multi-unit dwellings (MUDs) for the past decade, and we know how to navigate the challenges and complexities often associated with transitioning to electric. So, we’ve decided to do some myth-busting and weigh in on the commentary we’ve heard over the years. We’ve pretty much seen it all.
1. My property doesn’t have the necessary infrastructure to support EV charging.
Lie...
… But it can seem like that at first.
After a property’s power has been allocated to the lights, garage doors, and machinery, the majority of energy has been accounted for. To bring in additional power, buildings are often confronted with a significant price tag, a number that would only continue to increase as more power and more stations are needed as demand continues to increase. This never-ending cycle of needing to constantly upgrade the electrical infrastructure isn’t sustainable or feasible.
EverCharge’s intelligent, real-time power management technology, SmartPower, is designed to solve this problem. SmartPower capitalizes on the fact that vehicles at MUDs are not always charging at the same time, and almost never need the maximum amount during a session to be fully charged. When a vehicle finishes charging or decreases its charging rate, SmartPower instantly re-allocates power to other stations.
SmartPower can also be taken a step further, integrating into the full building’s electrical equipment to give it more intelligence – allowing it to sense when and where power is needed and supply it. For example, if the garage door isn’t in use, that power can be supplied to other equipment that is in use, like charging stations. When someone then needs the garage door to open, our technology will free up some of the power flowing to the charging stations and reallocate it to the garage door. This way, appliances have the power they need when they need it.
2. The cellular connection in my property’s parking garage is notoriously poor, so EV charging stations likely won’t work.
Lie…
… although it’s a valid concern to think through when selecting a charging partner.
EverCharge’s answer to this issue is its wireless mesh network technology. SmartPower is integrated directly into EverCharge’s charging stations and operates on the wireless mesh network, enabling seamless, instantaneous communication between each station.
The mesh network localizes the communication and decision-making that needs to happen between charging stations, ensuring each EverCharge unit can act as a cellular gateway without requiring every device to have its own cellular connection. By not relying on technology offsite to function reliably, the mesh network works to eliminate multiple points of failure and is resilient to things like internet outages, cloud outages, and other third-party interruptions.
3. The real problem is not a lack of power, it’s the lack of technology.
True!
At EverCharge, our technology allows us to keep things simple and make your life easier. Instead of having to worry about your property’s limited power, SmartPower uses the infrastructure you already have, allocating available power in real time based on what each vehicle needs.
In the end, it’s a win-win all around: the car gets the necessary charge, and by leveraging a property’s existing infrastructure, the total cost and complexity of installation is minimized – all while maximizing the number of charging stations that can be installed.
The transition to electric is requiring us to rethink a lot of things – from how we build our infrastructure to the technology we use to charge and manage our EVs. EverCharge is dedicated to providing innovative technology solutions to facilitate this transition, making it easier for property management to embrace EV charging and stay ahead in this evolving landscape. If you’re interested in learning more about how EverCharge’s technology is helping MUDs overcome electrification challenges, check out our informational paper.