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$8,000 for a Charger in my Apartment Building: Request for better ideas...
- Thread starter rachelhikes
- Start date
NeverFollow
Active Member
Thank you very much for the detail information.
I'm a little bit in the same boat. The building is quite old (1970 I believe) and there is not enough power capacity.
So the recommendation was to build a new trench under the building to access directly the street transformer,
which might be beefed up in the future if there is more requests.
But this is way too complex and costly. This will also take a lot of time and efforts for getting all the permits
reviewed and all the various contractor work performed.
I'm working now toward a simple solution of providing basic L3 plugs (120 Volt 15 Amp) which could be extended progressively to each
parking spots, or to have basic L2 plugs (240 Volt 15 - 20 Amp) using two phases since each home unit has 240 V electric oven and range.
If you can plug your car for 10 to 12 hours every night on a simple L3 plug, you can get at least 30 to 50 miles, which would be
sufficient for many users, and then you can stop by a supercharger once a week if needed.
Installing basic L3 seems is quite simple in the case of a large parking lot. You also need to install some breakers and a locking
box to keep the charger during the day. And each tenant will use their own meter to pay directly the electricity used.
According to the quote, the amount of work to bring power down from your unit to the parking space is not practical. I would look into where the electrical room is to see if you could tap off the meter instead of replacing the electrical panel in the apartment. However, that is likely prohibitively expensive too.
You could also consider looking into getting the apartment complex to install subsidized chargers. PG&E has a program where they cover a majority of the costs. The remaining costs would be practical to recover from users in charging fees.
PG&E’s electric vehicle charge network program
The other thing is that while there are no Superchargers in Los Altos, there are EVgo fast charge stations at Lucky, Nob Hill, and Whole Foods grocery stores in the area. I expect that Tesla will eventually get the CHAdeMO adapter working with the Model 3.
You could also consider looking into getting the apartment complex to install subsidized chargers. PG&E has a program where they cover a majority of the costs. The remaining costs would be practical to recover from users in charging fees.
PG&E’s electric vehicle charge network program
The other thing is that while there are no Superchargers in Los Altos, there are EVgo fast charge stations at Lucky, Nob Hill, and Whole Foods grocery stores in the area. I expect that Tesla will eventually get the CHAdeMO adapter working with the Model 3.
tinm
2020 Model S LR+ Owner
When I lived in a condo when I bought my S in 2013, I found out it was going to be expensive to install a 40-amp NEMA 14-50 plug along the wall in my parking spot in a 26-car underground garage. Two big reasons for the high price: 1, I needed to install a new, separate meter (to take advantage of SDGE's EV-TOU2 cheap EV rates for charging after midnight), and then my marking space was at the extreme end of the garage, and the electric closet was in the middle of the building, so it required running 170 feet of conduit through twists and turns, around walls, etc, to get all the way over to my space. When all was said and done, the bill was $3600, to my horror.
However, I paid it, and enjoyed being able to power my car in the garage on my own dedicated meter. Funny thing: SDGE said that the building had been very carefully set up so that there was *just* enough amperage (with a little buffer extra) coming in from the street for all the units in the building (13 total, 2 car spaces per unit). My new EV plug consumed the spare amperage. If anyone else in that building ever bought an EV and wanted a charger in their garage space, SDGE told me they would have to trench the street, connect to the power main, and run more amperage into the building, at huge cost.
Then we moved a couple years later, and nobody uses my NEMA 14-50 anymore, it just sits there gathering dust. So it goes. Maybe someone will buy a 3 some day.
However, I paid it, and enjoyed being able to power my car in the garage on my own dedicated meter. Funny thing: SDGE said that the building had been very carefully set up so that there was *just* enough amperage (with a little buffer extra) coming in from the street for all the units in the building (13 total, 2 car spaces per unit). My new EV plug consumed the spare amperage. If anyone else in that building ever bought an EV and wanted a charger in their garage space, SDGE told me they would have to trench the street, connect to the power main, and run more amperage into the building, at huge cost.
Then we moved a couple years later, and nobody uses my NEMA 14-50 anymore, it just sits there gathering dust. So it goes. Maybe someone will buy a 3 some day.
Hi,
Thanks to everyone for sharing their thoughts. I do appreciate it.
So, currently I'm having a new evaluation done:
1. On the apartment balcony there is a closet with a heat pump.
2. There is currently wiring that runs to the heat pump closet that looks like it should be able to safely handle more current than the heat pump needs.
3. The idea is to increase the amount of current to the heat pump closet, and put a new pair of circuit breakers out there, one of which would control power to the heat pump and the other to a line leading to a charging outlet for the car.
4. The line to charge the car would run in a conduit outside the building, behind an already existing conduit. The new conduit should have minimal/no impact on the building appearance. The line would terminate in a 240V/20A outlet (probably) at my parking space.
The evaluation isn't complete, but it seems promising, and if it works would be safe, sufficient for my needs, and much cheaper than the $8000 approach. So anyway, crossing my fingers on it!
Thanks to everyone for sharing their thoughts. I do appreciate it.
So, currently I'm having a new evaluation done:
1. On the apartment balcony there is a closet with a heat pump.
2. There is currently wiring that runs to the heat pump closet that looks like it should be able to safely handle more current than the heat pump needs.
3. The idea is to increase the amount of current to the heat pump closet, and put a new pair of circuit breakers out there, one of which would control power to the heat pump and the other to a line leading to a charging outlet for the car.
4. The line to charge the car would run in a conduit outside the building, behind an already existing conduit. The new conduit should have minimal/no impact on the building appearance. The line would terminate in a 240V/20A outlet (probably) at my parking space.
The evaluation isn't complete, but it seems promising, and if it works would be safe, sufficient for my needs, and much cheaper than the $8000 approach. So anyway, crossing my fingers on it!
Ludalicious
Active Member
NeverFollow
Active Member
So it looks like that you can use your own meter or does the heat pump is connected to the building utility's meter?
The heat pump is connected to my meter. It is just for my apartment.
The estimate was posted earlier in the thread. The big problem seems to have been a core drill through the garage ceiling, which drags in major permitting and safety concerns. (The garage ceiling is, after all a major structural element in the building.) I had imagined there was some space up above the garage ceiling where wiring could be run without getting into anything structural, but it seems I was wrong.
The new approach under consideration (mentioned above) would run the new wire in a conduit outside the building to avoid all that. There are still some uncertainties with this approach, but with luck we'll have a resolution and a solid estimate in the next week or so. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Pkmmte
Le meow
Wow, and here I thought my quote was bad (but close: $7,000).
I, too, live in an apartment with a crazy high quote to install and no workplace charging. There's a chargepoint charger near my home but it'd take 4 hours for it to charge enough for my daily commute.
Instead, I visit a supercharger twice per week. In my case, I get lunch to-go and eat while supercharging. The line itself sometimes takes just as long as the charging from near-empty...
I, too, live in an apartment with a crazy high quote to install and no workplace charging. There's a chargepoint charger near my home but it'd take 4 hours for it to charge enough for my daily commute.
Instead, I visit a supercharger twice per week. In my case, I get lunch to-go and eat while supercharging. The line itself sometimes takes just as long as the charging from near-empty...
NeverFollow
Active Member
- At which floor do you live and does the parking is at ground floor or below ground? How long do you estimate will be the line?
- I wonder if you might have to put a safety switch and keep your terminal plug inside a locked box since it is connected to your own meter?
ratsbew
Active Member
$8,000!!!! The question you need to ask the electrician is "where can you install a charger near any parking spot that is the cheapest" and then ask the apartment management to allow you to park there.
Breakers sound like a subpanel ~$1200, wire+conduit+receptacle...probably not very close... ~$1k...permit etc...sounds like you may be looking at $2-3k. if just for a few months until the lease expires, I would probably not do it.
The plan is to see about extending my lease by a couple years (more or less) to ensure I receive a reasonable value for the price. There's no hard line as to what amount is too much, but I could make $2K work, I'm pretty sure. To offset my costs, I'm looking at EV rate electrical savings and convenience.
Happily I am on the first floor, directly above my parking space. I can do it with substantially less than 20' of line, I think.
It'll be kind of a weird outlet that not many things will be able to plug into, and the garage has a security lock. I think the risk of electricity theft is pretty minimal.
I want to commend Rachel for her diligent efforts in trying to make this work. Congratulations.
You sound like one of the original devotees from back when ... when there were no Superchargers and they'd not even been announced ... we were getting our first Roadster / Model S deliveries and we'd do ANYTHING to make it work!
I wish you the best in getting this up and running. Please keep us posted!
You sound like one of the original devotees from back when ... when there were no Superchargers and they'd not even been announced ... we were getting our first Roadster / Model S deliveries and we'd do ANYTHING to make it work!
I wish you the best in getting this up and running. Please keep us posted!
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Jedi2155
Model 3 has Arrived.
I agree and congratulate you on making it work for your situation. I'm still of the opinion that public charging options is a better value especially if you can combine it with your daily routine (shopping, starbucks work, gym time etc.).
I had an EVSE installed in 2012, but I almost never use it because of all the great charging options in the LA/OC area.
I had an EVSE installed in 2012, but I almost never use it because of all the great charging options in the LA/OC area.
I would just hold off on the EV for now, and consider EV charging capability a must have feature in your next place. My daughter recently needed to find an apartment on the Peninsula. She found that Bay area rents are starting to fall. Lots of availability and free rent for a few weeks. Landlords are being more accommodating and even homes are renting cheaper (for the Bay area).
If you really want an EV now, I would consider paying for Supercharging and/or Level 2 charging. Without knowing the miles you drive it is hard to say if Level 2 is enough, but Level 2 chargers are all over. Safeway and other stores have them. Lots of malls have them. Several Targets have Superchargers and that correlation seems to be increasing.
My 2 cents,
jerry
If you really want an EV now, I would consider paying for Supercharging and/or Level 2 charging. Without knowing the miles you drive it is hard to say if Level 2 is enough, but Level 2 chargers are all over. Safeway and other stores have them. Lots of malls have them. Several Targets have Superchargers and that correlation seems to be increasing.
My 2 cents,
jerry
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I already have a Model 3, so that ship has sailed. (No regrets either. It is a truly wonderful car.)
I have close family nearby and have been using their charger and SuperCharger sessions to date. It's workable, but I think I can do better. In addition to the cost savings of being able to use the nighttime EV rate for charging, I've looked at my electric usage and think the EV rate will allow additional savings beyond the savings in charging costs. I'm not sure that those savings will completely offset the charger installation cost, but they don't need to: there is a considerable convenience advantage of having a car that is ready to go every morning without my having to strategize about when and where to charge it, and I'm willing to pay extra for that.
Finally, I would like to find a workable plan for other units in this apartment complex to add ev charging and leave that information with management. It isn't all about me.
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