Is installing a charger in a condo worth the high cost?

[rememberpine]

My quoted price was $5k (including a charger, permit, labor, etc).

I'm hesitant since I live within a walking distance of superchargers and other public chargers.
But my guess is they are pretty busy.

(1) Is that price normal for an underground condo parking structure in LA?
(2) The recommended charger was 24A Level 2 Charger from Clipper Creek (eek lcs 30) on a 30A circuit.
It will charge most cars around 20 miles/hr. It costs the same as Tesla's wall connector.
Which one is better?

 

[Baytomax]

LA county resident as well and the question ultimately boils down to whether to not you see the value in home charging being $5k.

I have a home charger setup using the mobile connector and a NEMA 14-50 outlet. I get around ~30 miles/hr charging at home.

I paid $500 for the installation, only needed about 2 feet of line run. I would gladly have paid 2x that to have home charging, heck even 3x.

In my own opinion, I would not pay $5000 for this setup. If it is indeed a parking structure, your best bet is to convince your property manager to install an EV charging station and show them all the benefits. They may be able to get some write-offs or rebates for it and will ultimately cost them less while selling it as a perk for residents.

 

[rememberpine]

Thanks @Baytomax for your response. Since it's a condo, you own the unit, not rent it. So I don't think the HOA has any incentives to install it for an individual homeowner.

 

[Baytomax]

Thanks @Baytomax for your response. Since it's a condo, you own the unit, not rent it. So I don't think the HOA has any incentives to install it for an individual homeowner.

Sorry for the misunderstanding, I read "underground parking structure" so I assumed there was some type of property management/HOA to help with managing projects like EV charging stations. I have seen some instances where HOAs (with the right community leader) can push hard for an EV charging station.

To touch on your topic about Superchargers, I would not recommend solely relying on Supercharging as your main charging source. While the battery can handle it safely, there are concerns about accelerated battery degradation.

Clipper Creek is a well-known brand and I see it often at chargers on the Plugshare app. There is a free lv2 charging station near me that also has the same Clipper Creek charger and it charges at 20 miles/hr as well. For my driving needs, I would need to charge here once a week, 20 miles an hour would require me to leave my car there for a few hours at the bare minimum. If you are indeed walking distance away, that may not be so bad.

 

[jjrandorin]

My quoted price was $5k (including a charger, permit, labor, etc).

I'm hesitant since I live within a walking distance of superchargers and other public chargers.
But my guess is they are pretty busy.

(1) Is that price normal for an underground condo parking structure in LA?
(2) The recommended charger was 24A Level 2 Charger from Clipper Creek (eek lcs 30) on a 30A circuit.
It will charge most cars around 20 miles/hr. It costs the same as Tesla's wall connector.
Which one is better?

Everyones idea off "worth" is different, obviously but, for me, that cost (5k) would only be worth it if this condo was my "forever home" and I never saw myself living somewhere else. If thats you, then possibly you could consider it.

If thats not you, then, I would also ask a real estate professional in my area how much (if any) would having a home charger for that condo change the value of my condo. You would want a local real estate professional, someone who you might engage if you were going to sell the condo. It may not change the value at all, but at least you would know that.

Finally, this really depends on "how much is 5k to YOU". What I mean is, for some people, $5,000 is an amount of money they will never see in their financial accounts at once during their lifetime. For others, thats the amount of money they "made in their investments on tuesday". Most of us are somewhere in between, but "whether its worth it" depends somewhat on whether 5k is actually "an amount of money that gives you pause" or not.

TL ; DR -- I wouldnt do it for a condo, because I would be planning on moving into a single family home. I hate sharing walls, having spent a large portion of my younger life in apartments. I have no desire to ever live in a shared dwelling space again by choice. It might happen at some point, but I wouldnt be planning on staying there if it were me, so no, for me its not worth it.