EV Charging Stations for Multifamily? Challenge Accepted

When tasked with addressing any major challenge at a property I manage, I do so while keeping the FirstService Residential mission in mind: Deliver exceptional service and solutions that enhance the value of every property and the life of every resident. This is my mantra, and it was surely top of mind as I worked over a course of months with the board and various vendors to identify, approve and install a new, ultra-fast electric vehicle charging solution to support residents at the 470-unit, two-tower Marina Palms Yacht Club and Residences community in North Miami.

EV charging is certainly not the first challenge we’ve faced at Marina Palms. Six years ago, when package deliveries became overwhelming, we determined that the Amazon Hub Locker was the ideal solution and became the third condo property to install a Hub. A couple of years after that, when short-term rentals posed a security risk, we installed facial recognition for the building. It’s a win-win as only authorized individuals can access the building and the system also acts as a camera and intercom system.

Working against the odds

As is the case in many buildings, the number of EV-driving residents at Marina Palms has escalated dramatically in recent years with no sign of stopping. The community is closing in on 100 EVs. Until we installed our new charging solution, we were relying on a handful of Level 2 chargers to support our residents’ EV needs. These were installed at six parking spaces, three in each of the two parking garages at ground level.

It’s worth pointing out that just these handful of spaces were a major investment considering that the condo association didn’t own any parking spaces. Instead, we had to purchase these spots at a high price from the building’s developer. With the Level 2 chargers, charging a vehicle was slow going and took many hours to reach a full battery. Most residents left their EVs to charge overnight.

In the beginning, this was fine. But by early 2022, it was clear that the Level 2 chargers could not support the needs of residents, who were all clamoring to use the spaces. We needed to explore alternatives.

I advised the board that we must consider not just today’s needs but to look five to 10 years out. What could we install today that would still support our needs in 2030? We considered adding more Level 2s and looked at Level 3 DC Fast Chargers. Nothing was the ideal fit.

Electrifying a share of parking spaces with the slower Level 2 chargers in our large complex was simply not a viable short-term or long-term solution due to the aforementioned space/cost limitations and power grid constraints. We were at our electrical capacity and would need to upgrade the power grid connection. In addition, each installation of Level 2 chargers would average out to about $7,000 per resident, according to estimates we received. We needed to find an option that would support residents and still be within budget.

A long-term solution

We continued to evaluate options when one resident introduced us to a new technology called battery-buffered, ultra-fast EV charging. The approach is ideal for existing buildings as it requires virtually no additional construction to install. We can pull from the on-site existing electrical capacity and the system is still able to charge a vehicle in approximately 20-30 minutes. It is ideal for larger, multi-unit condo and apartment buildings as well as commercial properties.

We ultimately decided to install two ADS-TEC Energy ChargeBox systems, the first of which was installed and introduced to residents earlier this year. Built-in batteries allow ChargeBox to draw power from the existing electrical grid, store it and then output the power at speeds of up to 320kW per vehicle. This meant we could avoid investing in costly upgrades or time-consuming construction and install in weeks versus months, which is typical for “traditional” fast chargers.

Already a major presence in the EV charging space in Europe, the ADS-TEC Energy technology was first developed in conjunction with Porsche. Considering the company uses these chargers at dealerships worldwide, we knew it was field-tested by the best.

Today, our single ChargeBox with two dispensers serves up to 100 EVs per week using only two parking spaces. We still operate our Level 2 chargers to support residents with older EVs that are not supported by ChargeBox, but we are fully on track to install our second ChargeBox in a few months.

Only several months into the ChargeBox deployment, the rave reviews are already rolling in. Residents cannot believe how quickly and easily they can fully charge their EVs. While public EV chargers are great, they are no substitute for the convenience of filling up at home. And when you can pull up to a ChargeBox and get a full battery in 20-30 minutes, it’s like a dream come true in a condo environment. Residents are using the ChargeBox similar to a gas station. They come in, plug in for 10 to 15 minutes and are ready for the next day.

As with the Amazon Hub decision, I’m feeling a bit like a hero again. Except this time, I’m not the third in the nation to deploy. With ChargeBox, I’m the first. I hope that my colleagues in property management will benefit from my building association’s experience researching and deploying EV charging that will serve residents well into the future. We aspire to serve as a model for other large condominium and apartment communities throughout the nation.

George Barriere is the general manager of the Marina Palms Yacht Club & Residences, a FirstService Residential Managed Community.