how is this done? im looking at a condo that has two reserved spots for each resident down below. but they are equipped for EV tesla charging since it hasnt been brought up before. what is normally done? are most modern buildings (this condo is a luxury brand new condo) able to put EV chargers? i bet i will have to pay for this...
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this is something that you'd need to bring to your condo's HOA.
I don't believe that there are any set rules or laws in place that says that they are obliged to provide charging for your car.
some HOAs are more friendly to the concept than others are.
at this point all you can do is to ask and see what their view of allowing you to charge in their parking area is, you could offer to bear the expense of the charging hardware and power.
how is this done? Not the same way twice.
what is normally done? Same answer. There is no "normal."
are most modern buildings (this condo is a luxury brand new condo) able to put EV chargers? Pre-wiring is rare. Most developers are not exactly progressive thinkers. At best, they may have planned for common area charging, which means you'll have to move your car to/from your assigned parking spots. I'm assuming construction is or nearly is complete.
i bet i will have to pay for this... If you can do it at all, I'll bet you will, too.
Since it is a "brand new condo," the developer likely is the HOA until all of the units are sold. If this is a deal-breaker for you, get it in writing and have an attorney look at it. Don't be surprised if the developer decides this is too much of a hassle, and he can sell it to someone else easier. Or he may be all for it. You never know. Texas has no state laws to help you that I know of. You may want to check with your city or county.
Good luck. Welcome to the world of being an early adopter.
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I've been through this. Took about 4 months of BS.
Presented my proposal to the HOA at a Board meeting. Colo has a law that requires HOAs and landlords to accommodate EV charging, so it wasn't difficult to get approval - just a bunch of hoops to jump through. I suspect TX does not have such a law, given their level of Tesla friendliness :smile:
Of course I had to pay for the installation. I am (over)charged a flat monthly fee for electricity, as there was no way to hook it to my meter, 5 floors up. Once there is a new Board in place, I intend to talk to them about how I've been overcharged, but it's not that big a deal.
Are you already living there and/or under contract? If not, and it's new construction, try to get them to include it in your contract negotiations.
Presented my proposal to the HOA at a Board meeting. Colo has a law that requires HOAs and landlords to accommodate EV charging, so it wasn't difficult to get approval - just a bunch of hoops to jump through. I suspect TX does not have such a law, given their level of Tesla friendliness :smile:
Of course I had to pay for the installation. I am (over)charged a flat monthly fee for electricity, as there was no way to hook it to my meter, 5 floors up. Once there is a new Board in place, I intend to talk to them about how I've been overcharged, but it's not that big a deal.
Are you already living there and/or under contract? If not, and it's new construction, try to get them to include it in your contract negotiations.
I recommend you approach them ready to explain exactly what you need, rather than ask for something more vague like "a Tesla charger". If you want a NEMA 14-50, for example, say so. Those not in-the-know about EVs, and Teslas in particular, may otherwise tend to dismiss it out-of-hand as something unfamiliar/exotic/a hassle/expensive. A 14-50 is a fairly common thing, though, so much more likely they'll consider it. Ask for it like it's the most natural thing in the world.
I'd say your chances are good, since they want you to buy in their new building.
I hope your negotiations go well.
I'd say your chances are good, since they want you to buy in their new building.
I hope your negotiations go well.
There are laws in California that are "friendly" to condo owners, but you should be prepared to pay for the installation, maintance, and the cost of electricity.
California Senate Bill No. 880
Larry
I agree. The cost of a NEMA 14-50 outlet run to your parking spot during the construction phase is minimal in the overall scheme of things.I recommend you approach them ready to explain exactly what you need, rather than ask for something more vague like "a Tesla charger". If you want a NEMA 14-50, for example, say so. Those not in-the-know about EVs, and Teslas in particular, may otherwise tend to dismiss it out-of-hand as something unfamiliar/exotic/a hassle/expensive. A 14-50 is a fairly common thing, though, so much more likely they'll consider it. Ask for it like it's the most natural thing in the world.
I'd say your chances are good, since they want you to buy in their new building.
When I purchased a yet-to-be-built, semi-custom home 25 years ago, being a radio ham, I asked the builder to excavate and pour the concrete for my tower base and guy anchors as part of the contract. Was a few cu yds of concrete and rebar cages. They did not charge me extra for it, as the concrete guys were already there for the foundation.
I just went through this process - fortunately for me it was relatively painless.
I submitted a proposal to my HOA - I detailed all aspects of the installation with photographs of where all the wiring and piping would go. At first, I was told that I would need to submit a realistic calculation of yearly electricity costs. I used the calculator on the Tesla webpage, inputting kw/h costs from my electric bill statements. The cost to charge 15,000 miles came out to about $350.
The HOA met and voted on the motion - they approved the installation and all but one board member approved the proposal as I had submitted it. At the meeting, one of the board members motioned to require a meter on the unit. The HOA board in my building is very "green" and, fortunately, pushing residents to adopt electric vehicles. Many other residents have inquired about it in the past, but I'm the first one to actually go through with it. Most of the board members did not want a meter because they did not want it to inhibit future residents from installing charging units. The contentious board member who apparently seems to be the "controversial" one in the group (I noticed he would constantly complain and raise arguments to others throughout the meeting) wanted a meter put on, though didn't really have a good understanding of the expected costs. Despite my provided calculations, he assumed the cost would be "hundreds per month" rather than several hundred per year and feared that when others went to adopt charging stations the electricity costs could skyrocket. The others seemed indifferent as to whether I went over or under $10-30 a year, but this one individual assumed the overages could run in the hundreds. The other board members caved in to his demands and agreed to requiring a meter.
Once I got approval, they gave me the green light to have an electrician come in and install it. My parking spot is fortunately only 4 spots away from the electrical room so it did not require much piping. The board's only requirement was that I couldn't run piping along the ceiling, so I ran alongside existing piping in the corner between the wall and the ceiling. Whole process took about a week. Will post pictures when I get a chance.
I submitted a proposal to my HOA - I detailed all aspects of the installation with photographs of where all the wiring and piping would go. At first, I was told that I would need to submit a realistic calculation of yearly electricity costs. I used the calculator on the Tesla webpage, inputting kw/h costs from my electric bill statements. The cost to charge 15,000 miles came out to about $350.
The HOA met and voted on the motion - they approved the installation and all but one board member approved the proposal as I had submitted it. At the meeting, one of the board members motioned to require a meter on the unit. The HOA board in my building is very "green" and, fortunately, pushing residents to adopt electric vehicles. Many other residents have inquired about it in the past, but I'm the first one to actually go through with it. Most of the board members did not want a meter because they did not want it to inhibit future residents from installing charging units. The contentious board member who apparently seems to be the "controversial" one in the group (I noticed he would constantly complain and raise arguments to others throughout the meeting) wanted a meter put on, though didn't really have a good understanding of the expected costs. Despite my provided calculations, he assumed the cost would be "hundreds per month" rather than several hundred per year and feared that when others went to adopt charging stations the electricity costs could skyrocket. The others seemed indifferent as to whether I went over or under $10-30 a year, but this one individual assumed the overages could run in the hundreds. The other board members caved in to his demands and agreed to requiring a meter.
Once I got approval, they gave me the green light to have an electrician come in and install it. My parking spot is fortunately only 4 spots away from the electrical room so it did not require much piping. The board's only requirement was that I couldn't run piping along the ceiling, so I ran alongside existing piping in the corner between the wall and the ceiling. Whole process took about a week. Will post pictures when I get a chance.
anxman
Member
You're very lucky that it was only $530 to get that done. I also in a (semi) luxury condo building but it was built in 2006. Having real EV spots installed has been basically impossible. I instead use the charger at the nearby supermarket which the parking company was nice enough to whitelist a pass for that I don't have to pay for hourly parking. Not ideal but passable.
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