A Vancouver developer is leading the charge to make it easier for condo dwellers to own and charge electric cars.
Most parking facilities in apartment buildings use a house power metre, meaning all owners and stratas are subsidizing any electric car users who plug into it.
Now, Bosa Properties is offering homeowners the ability to upgrade and customize their parking spot to have a personal electric vehicle charging station.
With 40 per cent of Vancouverites calling condominiums home, Bosa Properties Vice President Daryl Simpson says the move will revolutionize condo parking garages – and spur people into buying electric cars.
“Despite the civic push towards sustainability in the Lower Mainland, without the accompanying infrastructure to support green initiatives, it is impossible for individuals to scale the green barrier to entry,” Simpson said.
As opposed to traditional charging stations which act more as a communal station, the BosaVolt is installed into a personal parking spot.
Simpson says there is a serious lack of EV stations to charge electric vehicles in the Lower Mainland (there are currently nine) and it is almost impossible to install one after a building is completed. Strata corporations are reluctant to make a large investment into retrofitting their existing parking garages, he added.
“The ability to charge electric vehicles is a huge step in facilitating a greener city and doing our part to support the sustainability strategies that are being promoted by Canadian cities. By building these charging stations within our projects, we hope to finally make it easier for people to make the green choice and invest in green alternatives,” Simpson said.
It costs just under $1 in electricity to charge a Volt to be able to drive 130 kilometres.
The BosaVOLT system costs $4900 to $5900, depending on location. It will charge an electric vehicle in four to six hours.
