Investigate your building’s situation
Existing electric vehicle chargers
It is important to know if your building already has an electric vehicle charger somewhere. Ask your building or strata manager, as well as other owners and tenants. Be sure to check your building’s visitor’s parking.
The distance between your parking stall and an electrical room or an outlet
This distance might be important. If a regular outlet is nearby, then you might have a
Level 1 opportunity. Knowing the distance of the nearest electrical room may help an electrician estimate
Level 2 installation costs. Parking stalls that are far from an outlet or the electrical room might have more expensive installation costs.
If you might need to switch parking stalls and if it is possible to do so
If your parking stall is too far from an outlet or the electrical room, then one option is to switch parking stalls with a homeowner that is closer. Your strata council can let you know if this option is feasible.
Learn more about types of parking stalls.
If your building has visitor’s parking
Another option is to have an electric charger installed in your building’s visitor’s parking area. Find out if this is feasible. This can often be easier to implement and has the advantage of providing access to multiple electric vehicle drivers.
Reach out to others
If your strata already has an electric vehicle policy
Such policies are not common, but it is important to know if your strata already has one. Ask your strata council or other homeowners.
If other people in your building want electric vehicle charging
Your request might be more convincing if even one other homeowner joins you. Ask around your building to find neighbours with a similar interest.
Any potential electric vehicle “champions” on your strata council
Find out if any strata council members have an interest in electric vehicles. If they do, consider informally contacting them early on to see if they have advice, and if they might be willing to support your request to your strata council.
What you can learn from other electric vehicle owners’ experiences
One of your best resources is other electric vehicle owners that have successfully installed a charger in their apartment or townhouse. You might try to contact these individuals through forums, interest groups or even your own strata management company.
Next steps
Step 2: Make a formal request to your strata council
