Good afternoon,
It sounds like a good idea.
With more Teslas prowling the highways and other automakers ramping up their electric vehicle offerings, passing an ordinance requiring wiring for EV chargers in new construction seems like a no-brainer.
After all, California and a smattering of other areas already have the requirement on the books.
And who wants to keep their EV plugged in all the time? That must have been the case a few years ago when I saw a regular extension cord running to a parked Tesla.
The growth in EVs is the reason for a proposed ordinance that would require the high voltage wiring in parking areas of new single-family homes with some spaces in new apartments set aside for chargers. (The original ordinance was watered down a bit after objections were voiced).
The changes do not apply to existing housing.
Granted, the cost of wiring is cheaper during construction. But is this ordinance needed?
Even with incentives like a $7,500 federal tax credit and the state’s rebate, the cost of a bare-bones electric vehicle comes in at around $35,000.
Own a Tesla or GM vehicle, and you are out of luck on the federal credit, which goes away when a company produces a couple of hundred thousand vehicles.
Battery prices have declined rapidly, but it will be a while before the price of EVs, minus incentives, become more competitive with gas-powered vehicles.
State incentives already exist for landlords and employers who want to install EV chargers. The state dropped residential incentives.
New homeowners agreeing to a big mortgage for $350,000 or more for a townhouse or single-family home would have little trouble coming up with a couple of thousand dollars extra for a hook-up.
In other words, this is a feel-good ordinance that might add hook-ups for the relatively affluent who already have the funds for an electric vehicle.
Some quick math shows that a high-voltage hook up would add about $15 a month and perhaps less to a monthly mortgage payment.
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