Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Requirements for Multi-Family Buildings

plug in iconGreenhouse gases from personal transportation represent approximately 33% of the total community greenhouse gas emissions in Vancouver. Because of BC’s large hydro-electricity assets, each new electric vehicle (EV) in Vancouver reduces these emissions by about 4 tons/year relative to a typical mid-sized gas powered vehicle. While widespread use of EVs is limited today, as fuel prices increase it is expected that demand for EVs will grow, resulting in a significant opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

New Multi-Family Buildings

Residents living in multi-family homes in urban communities tend to drive shorter trips. These driving patterns are well-suited to the capabilities of electric vehicles. Providing charging infrastructure in new multi-family buildings was the natural next step in encouraging EV use. The City of Vancouver now requires 20%of parking stalls in new multi-family buildings to contain charging receptacles, and requires sufficient space in breaker rooms for additionalelectrical panels.This provides a baseline level of charging infrastructure now to support early EV adopters, as well as builds in the capacity to support future EV market adoption

Part 13, which comes into force on April 20, 2011, of the Vancouver Building Bylaw has been updated accordingly (see paragraphs below). These bylaw changes are intended to be responsive and dynamic and will be reviewed annually.    

  • 13.2.1.1. Parking Stalls
    1) Each one of 20% of the parking stalls that are for use by owners or occupiers of dwelling units in a multi-family building that includes three or more dwelling units, or in the multi-family component of a mixed use building that includes three or more dwelling units, must include a receptacle to accommodate use by electric vehicle charging equipment.
  • 13.2.1.2. Electrical Room
    1) The electrical room in a multi-family building, or in the multi-family component of a mixed use building, that in either case includes three or more dwelling units, must include sufficient space for the future installation of electrical equipment necessary to provide a receptacle to accommodate use by electric charging equipment for 100% of the parking stalls that are for use by owners or occupiers of the building or of the residential component of the building.

Retrofitting Existing Multi-Family Buildings

While changing regulations to support charging for EVs in new buildings is important, we also need to support early adopters of EVs who live or work in existing buildings and have no access to electric outlets. The City, Provincial Government and BC Hydro partnered with the Federal government (NRCAN) to fund the development of new Canadian guidelines for installing EV charging infrastructure. These guidelines offer information on costs and charging technology options, so that developers, building owners, strata councils, and fleet managers can understand their options. The City will also facilitate the development permitting process for retrofitting buildings to include charging infrastructure.  

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