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EV chargers in apartment blocks ‘a very expensive proposition’
Matt O'Sullivan February 21, 2023 |
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Original link: https://amp.smh.com.au/national/nsw/ev-chargers-in-apartment-blocks-a-very-expensive-proposition-20230220-p5clxl.html |
The cost of retrofitting electric vehicle chargers in Sydney apartment buildings can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars and is proving to be a major barrier to owners adopting the technology, sparking calls for governments to boost subsidies.
Under a plan to spur the uptake of electric vehicles, the City of Sydney will require all new apartment buildings to accommodate chargers in car spaces and look to retrofit existing residential blocks with charging stations.
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![](img/press23-1-1.jpg) The cost of installing electric vehicle chargers in existing apartment buildings is a major hurdle. LOUISE KENNERLEY |
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However, University of Sydney sustainable transport expert professor John Rose said governments needed to prioritise subsidies for installing chargers in apartment buildings due to the high cost, instead of the vehicles themselves.
He cited the $163,000 cost of installing electric vehicle charging in his Milsons Point apartment building, which has 54 parking spots. The high price resulted in his building’s strata committee delaying the project.
Rose said governments’ focus had been on installing public charging stations despite most charging of electric vehicles occurring overnight at people’s homes. In Europe, about 88 per cent of electric vehicle charging happens at home, while it is 70 per cent in North America.
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“If people can’t charge them at home, there will be a big barrier in five to 10 years [switching to electric vehicles],” he said.
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![](img/press23-1-2.jpg) The City of Sydney plans to require all new apartment buildings to accommodate charging facilities for every car park space. SAM MOOY |
Rose said strata committees often struggled to gain adequate information about how to install electric chargers and the associated costs, which often resulted in them having to pay private companies for assessments and advice. And he warned that Australia risked creating an underclass of consumers if it failed to tackle the main barriers to the uptake of electric vehicles such as charging stations at home.
Owners Corporation Network, which represents apartment owners, said it was significantly more costly to install chargers in unit blocks than freestanding houses because of the extra infrastructure large buildings required.
“It is a very expensive proposition,” chairman Fred Tuckwell said, citing the owners of a 60-unit residential block who were quoted up to $400,000 to install chargers.
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RELATED ARTICLE: ‘This is evolving quickly’: City of Sydney accelerates switch to electric vehicles |
![](img/press23-1-3.jpg) ‘This is evolving quickly’: City of Sydney accelerates switch to electric vehicles |
Tuckwell said the cost of retrofitting buildings with chargers was often an outlay only a limited number of apartment owners could afford, while any move to have them installed frequently faced opposition from a section of owners.
He also called for governments to consider providing subsidies to unit owners to help reduce the costs associated with installing chargers in apartment blocks.
A spokeswoman for state Treasurer and Energy Minister Matt Kean said the Coalition would fast-track the rollout of both public and private electric vehicle charging plans if re-elected, including by reforming strata laws to make it easier for people living in apartments to charge their EVs.
She also cited a $10 million government grants program to co-fund the installation of charging infrastructure in more than 100 apartment buildings.
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RELATED ARTICLE: EU ban on petrol cars will force Australian drivers to go electric |
![](img/press23-1-4.jpg) EU ban on petrol cars will force Australian drivers to go electric |
The NSW government offers $3000 rebates for electric vehicles under $68,750, as well as an exemption from stamp duty for those less than $78,000.
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Urban Taskforce, a lobby group for developers, said retrofitting existing apartment buildings was problematic because they had not been designed for a significant new demand for power supply from electric vehicle charging.
“It potentially requires upgrades to substations and power supply from the grid,” chief executive Tom Forrest said. “This will be a matter for owners corporations and strata managers to consider on a case-by-case basis. There is also an opportunity cost with putting in an extra bulky substation.”
Forrest said the key to rolling out charging units in new apartment buildings would be to ensure that it was both practical and financially feasible to deliver the required electricity supply. “It is easier in greenfield locations where you have large developments, and you have available power,” he said.
The peak body for councils, Local Government NSW, said there were complexities involved in the rollout of electric vehicle charging, and it would welcome the opportunity to work with the next state government on the matter.
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