{"id":1004463328,"date":"2020-07-16T08:36:42","date_gmt":"2020-07-16T16:36:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/?p=1004463328"},"modified":"2020-07-17T07:42:31","modified_gmt":"2020-07-17T15:42:31","slug":"getting-ahead-of-the-coming-ev-wave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.commercialsearch.com\/news\/getting-ahead-of-the-coming-ev-wave\/","title":{"rendered":"Get Ahead of the Coming EV Wave"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

JuiceBox EV residential charger. Image courtesy of Enel X North America<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

When it comes to electric vehicles, commercial real estate owners and operators face one fundamental question: Do they wait for a tidal wave of EVs on the road to add charging stations to new and existing buildings, or get ahead of that tsunami? The answer increasingly is if they dawdle, they run the risk of finding themselves  behind the times.<\/p>\n

A recent study released by The Brattle Group, a Boston-based economic consulting firm, predicts that the number of EVs on American roads will increase from 1.5 million in 2020 to between 10 million and 35 million by 2030. The surge in adoption is fueled by a growing number of state policies mandating EVs; a marked decline in EV and battery costs; and anticipated growth in new EV models available from manufacturers.<\/p>\n

\n

READ ALSO:<\/strong> EV Stations Spark Broad-Based Change<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

“Property owners should be aware significant efforts are being undertaken by utilities and utility regulatory commissions to ensure infrastructure is in place<\/em>,” said Mike Hagerty, senior associate with The Brattle Group.<\/p>\n

In many states, utilities<\/a> are able to cover costs of building out most of the “make-ready” infrastructure\u2014up to but not including the chargers themselves\u2014to provide charging of commercial properties. “They are able to charge back the cost to all rate payers, rather than that one location, reducing the cost of adding chargers for specific properties while supporting state-level EV and decarbonization goals,”<\/em> Hagerty added. <\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/em>EV charging infrastructure is being discussed as part of a stimulus package in the U.S. House of Representatives, Hagerty said. Twelve states comprising 30 percent of the U.S. population have already instituted Zero Emission Vehicle  mandates. Three more states have recently proposed to adopt the program.<\/p>\n

Ten states have put building codes in place that essentially require buildings to be EV-ready, said Elise Benoit, vice president of marketing, e-Mobility for Enel X North America, one of the world’s largest electric utilities and renewable energy producers and manufacturer of the JuiceBox EV charger.<\/p>\n

\n

READ ALSO:<\/strong> High-Tech, High-Powered Changes<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Earlier this year, the International Code Council published new codes encouraging the addition of EV stations to new-construction buildings. Other recommendations strongly advise retrofitting existing buildings. In California, CALGreen legislation mandates 250,000 EV charging stations be publicly available by 2025 and calls for six percent of parking spaces be EV-capable in new non-residential buildings, Benoit said.<\/p>\n

In New York City, there has been talk of a reexamination and strengthening of Local Law 130, which requires commercial buildings to be 20 percent EV-ready with adequate electrical capacity, conduits and breakers to accommodate future additions of chargers, said Amina Hassen, urban planner with WYZ Studio, a New York City urban design practice .<\/p>\n

Different by industry<\/strong><\/h2>\n

About 80 percent of EV charging takes place at the home, 15 percent in the workplace and the remainder happens on the go, Enel X North America estimates.<\/p>\n

\"\"

JuiceBox EV charger pedestals. Image courtesy of Enel X North America<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Those charging on the road depend on public charging stations, which are highly differentiated by industry, according to Alison Alvarez, CEO of BlastPoint, a Pittsburgh-based predictive analytics company. Because most charging takes hours rather than minutes, commercial properties such as hotels, high-end retailers, restaurants and theaters are installing chargers as inducements to high-value patrons to stay awhile and fork out cash. “Where we see it most is in hotels because most charging happens overnight,” <\/em>Alvarez said. “Hotels, B&Bs, resorts, spas, we see a lot of growth in the luxury travel category<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

Predictably, adoption is anything but uniform. California commercial real estate owners are far more likely to adopt EV charging than those in West Virginia, for example. “It makes sense to think about your own situation, and your own target customer,”<\/em> Alvarez noted. “It’s what their values are and what you want to reflect back to them. There’s a reason almost every Whole Foods has a charging station.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Key considerations<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Decision-makers should consider several factors when exploring EV charging. Choose a networked charging solution with smart features and automated software updates, advises Daryll Harrison, senior director, global communications and social media with Campbell, Calif.-based EV-charging infrastructure company ChargePoint. That step will future-proof the investment, while providing insights into users’ charging behaviors.<\/p>\n

Harrison offered additional tips:<\/p>\n