NJ Apartment Charging Cost Estimate?

[bwbrs]

Hi everyone,

I am planning to order a M3 by the end of the year (could be as soon as this month). I live in an apartment building with no other EVs in the lot, so I'm not sure if this has been brought to management yet. Anyway, I want to go to them with some kind of proposal, numbers, anything really to back up asking for them to put in at least a 110v outlet for daily charging. My commute is only about 30 miles round trip, so I feel like going for a Chargepoint or a 240v might be overkill. But, it will be parked outside 24/7, so maybe a 240v would be better for the winter months when it gets cold enough outside.

I have JCP&L as power in my apartment, I looked up my billing history and took the average over the past year, it comes out to be about $.068 per KWH (Divided total monthly KWH by bill $). I am worried they are going to want a ridiculous amount of money for a seemingly small amount, if that happens I want to be able to say, 'no, the numbers say x, it shouldn't be y' kind of deal. Do you think showing them my electric bills would enough to accomplish this? I am going to test drive a vehicle this weekend, I plan to ask them the same thing to help back me up when I go to management.

If getting an outlet put it doesn't work out, my town offers many free chargers throughout the parking garages, a broken destination charger (hopefully to be fixed soon), and a few superchargers nearby.



Any input would be appreciated, thanks!

 

[dmurphy]

Hi everyone,

I am planning to order a M3 by the end of the year (could be as soon as this month). I live in an apartment building with no other EVs in the lot, so I'm not sure if this has been brought to management yet. Anyway, I want to go to them with some kind of proposal, numbers, anything really to back up asking for them to put in at least a 110v outlet for daily charging. My commute is only about 30 miles round trip, so I feel like going for a Chargepoint or a 240v might be overkill. But, it will be parked outside 24/7, so maybe a 240v would be better for the winter months when it gets cold enough outside.

I have JCP&L as power in my apartment, I looked up my billing history and took the average over the past year, it comes out to be about $.068 per KWH (Divided total monthly KWH by bill $). I am worried they are going to want a ridiculous amount of money for a seemingly small amount, if that happens I want to be able to say, 'no, the numbers say x, it shouldn't be y' kind of deal. Do you think showing them my electric bills would enough to accomplish this? I am going to test drive a vehicle this weekend, I plan to ask them the same thing to help back me up when I go to management.

If getting an outlet put it doesn't work out, my town offers many free chargers throughout the parking garages, a broken destination charger (hopefully to be fixed soon), and a few superchargers nearby.



Any input would be appreciated, thanks!

First of all, congratulations! You'll love the Model 3.

That said - it's almost *impossible* to give you a ballpark cost because it's all about construction cost. How far is the parking spot? What work will the electricians have to do to get an outlet there? Is it as simple as a piece of conduit, or do they have to break concrete and run underground trenches? Etc -- all of that factors into the installation, sadly. You may need to get an electrician to come onsite and give you an estimate to even have a shot at a ballpark number.

One thing you may want to point them to is the NJ "It pay$ to plug in" program. They could be eligible for the state to cover up to 60% of the cost if they install chargers for the building: Home - Drive Green - Air Quality, Energy and Sustainability (AQES) | Department of Environmental Protection

If that's the broken destination charger I'm thinking of (ShopRite Morristown) - there's plenty of alternative charging infrastructure around these parts, until this gets settled.

Best of luck -- let us know what we can do to help.

 

[bwbrs]

First of all, congratulations! You'll love the Model 3.

That said - it's almost *impossible* to give you a ballpark cost because it's all about construction cost. How far is the parking spot? What work will the electricians have to do to get an outlet there? Is it as simple as a piece of conduit, or do they have to break concrete and run underground trenches? Etc -- all of that factors into the installation, sadly. You may need to get an electrician to come onsite and give you an estimate to even have a shot at a ballpark number.

One thing you may want to point them to is the NJ "It pay$ to plug in" program. They could be eligible for the state to cover up to 60% of the cost if they install chargers for the building: Home - Drive Green - Air Quality, Energy and Sustainability (AQES) | Department of Environmental Protection

If that's the broken destination charger I'm thinking of (ShopRite Morristown) - there's plenty of alternative charging infrastructure around these parts, until this gets settled.

Best of luck -- let us know what we can do to help.

Thanks for the quick response! Good points about the construction. There are no assigned spots in my lot, the laundry room is right outside parking so I would imagine they could run something from that, but who knows.

Thank you for the reminder on the program, something to look into for sure.

And yes, Motown Shop Rite. I've studied Plugshare and noticed all the parking garages in town offer free charging so I feel like I'd be utilizing those options mostly. Any other spots around the area you've had good charging experiences with?

The prospect of finally getting close to ordering is very exciting, every day a step closer!

 

[jjrandorin]

Hi everyone,

I am planning to order a M3 by the end of the year (could be as soon as this month). I live in an apartment building with no other EVs in the lot, so I'm not sure if this has been brought to management yet. Anyway, I want to go to them with some kind of proposal, numbers, anything really to back up asking for them to put in at least a 110v outlet for daily charging. My commute is only about 30 miles round trip, so I feel like going for a Chargepoint or a 240v might be overkill. But, it will be parked outside 24/7, so maybe a 240v would be better for the winter months when it gets cold enough outside.

I have JCP&L as power in my apartment, I looked up my billing history and took the average over the past year, it comes out to be about $.068 per KWH (Divided total monthly KWH by bill $). I am worried they are going to want a ridiculous amount of money for a seemingly small amount, if that happens I want to be able to say, 'no, the numbers say x, it shouldn't be y' kind of deal. Do you think showing them my electric bills would enough to accomplish this? I am going to test drive a vehicle this weekend, I plan to ask them the same thing to help back me up when I go to management.

If getting an outlet put it doesn't work out, my town offers many free chargers throughout the parking garages, a broken destination charger (hopefully to be fixed soon), and a few superchargers nearby.



Any input would be appreciated, thanks!

If you are parking outside and it snows, its possible that a standard 110 wont actually charge much in the snow, due to the need to heat the battery to an acceptable temperature for charging. At least, thats what people who park in the snow and charge report. It has only snowed 1 time at my home in the past 20 years, and I park inside a garage and charge there so dont have personal experience.

If they have to run electricity lines close to your parking space or something, you would want to get at least a 120v 20 amp circuit at a minimum.

They also need to figure out how to bill you for the electricity, or run the risk that if its free, they will need to provide everyone else who asks a free electrical connection.... if by "apartment" you mean the same thing we do in california when we say "apartment".. of which, I am not sure.

To us in CA. an "apartment" is multi-unit dwelling that you rent, and can not buy. They are normally leased individually by the owner or by a management company representing the owner of the building. The units are not able to be purchased separately by people living in them.

In CA, apartments you can buy are called "condominiums" or "condos". I mention this, because when you say "apartment" I think a rented structure you cant buy, and if they put in an outlet for you, they could run into needing to put in more for other renters. If its a condo and you own the unit you are in, much easier to start down the path of spending the money to get charging in / close to your space.

Anyway,I would recommend scoping out the area close to where you want to park, and see if there are electrical sub panels around, etc. If its a rental, I would ask them, but if they say "no" I would just move on, use the public charging and look for a new place to live when the rental lease is up, that is more charger friendly.

 

[dmurphy]

if by "apartment" you mean the same thing we do in california when we say "apartment".. of which, I am not sure.

Hey man, this is New Jersey not Backwoodsistan! hahaha. Just teasing. Yep, same things... condos, apartments, etc.

In all seriousness, you're right - a 120V connection can get a little iffy in the winter. If the car is cold-soaked, it may only charge at 1mph until the battery warms up. If you plug it in right away when you get home from a drive, it's usually OK though. At least that was my experience using the 120v connector when I was camping this past winter in the Catskills.

Better would be to convince the property owner to take advantage of the state grant program, install some Level 2 chargers and get the state to pay 60% of the cost. The other 40% they can chalk up to property improvement/marketing for new tenants. Yeah, that's it ...

To be honest, Morristown is HOT HOT HOT right now, real estate wise. The mass exodus from NYC, Hoboken et al due to Covid is driving our values sky-high out here in the 'burbs. Adding an EV charger would give them a "leg up" over some of the other choices nearby. So trying to work with management to get some multi-dwelling chargers installed might be the best plan; or, as you said - punt and use the already-installed resources nearby. Not quite as convenient but still very much viable here.

Heck, do your shopping at the local supermarket (are they "supermarkets" in California or some crunchy-granola name? LOL!) - and take on ~30mi/hr from the destination charger.

edit: PS - @bwbrs - JCP&L sucks. There, I just said it. Worst electric company in the state, probably on the eastern seaboard.

 

[jjrandorin]

Hey man, this is New Jersey not Backwoodsistan! hahaha. Just teasing. Yep, same things... condos, apartments, etc.

In all seriousness, you're right - a 120V connection can get a little iffy in the winter. If the car is cold-soaked, it may only charge at 1mph until the battery warms up. If you plug it in right away when you get home from a drive, it's usually OK though. At least that was my experience using the 120v connector when I was camping this past winter in the Catskills.

Better would be to convince the property owner to take advantage of the state grant program, install some Level 2 chargers and get the state to pay 60% of the cost. The other 40% they can chalk up to property improvement/marketing for new tenants. Yeah, that's it ...

To be honest, Morristown is HOT HOT HOT right now, real estate wise. The mass exodus from NYC, Hoboken et al due to Covid is driving our values sky-high out here in the 'burbs. Adding an EV charger would give them a "leg up" over some of the other choices nearby. So trying to work with management to get some multi-dwelling chargers installed might be the best plan; or, as you said - punt and use the already-installed resources nearby. Not quite as convenient but still very much viable here.

Heck, do your shopping at the local supermarket (are they "supermarkets" in California or some crunchy-granola name? LOL!) - and take on ~30mi/hr from the destination charger.

edit: PS - @bwbrs - JCP&L sucks. There, I just said it. Worst electric company in the state, probably on the eastern seaboard.

Lol

If I remember properly (which is getting more and more difficult as I get older, lmao), in New York, people call "apartments" what we call condo's here... I have heard people say "I bought an apartment" when they are from the east coast, so I wasnt sure where that nomenclature comes from.

Oh, and at least in my family its "Supermarket / Grocery store, or simply "Store"" lol

 

[bwbrs]

Thanks guys, I think I mean 120 when I said 110...

All good points, hopefully I can report back with good news one day!

 

[dmurphy]

Lol

If I remember properly (which is getting more and more difficult as I get older, lmao), in New York, people call "apartments" what we call condo's here... I have heard people say "I bought an apartment" when they are from the east coast, so I wasnt sure where that nomenclature comes from.

Oh, and at least in my family its "Supermarket / Grocery store, or simply "Store"" lol

The less you conflate us with New York, the better...

Not sure what happens once you cross that river but we're the civilized side of things here! hahaha.

 

[user212_nr]

I am worried they are going to want a ridiculous amount of money for a seemingly small amount, if that happens I want to be able to say, 'no, the numbers say x, it shouldn't be y' kind of deal.

I think that you are confusing the apartment management with an electrician. Managers receive a salary and they make no extra money by ripping you off.

My commute is only about 30 miles round trip, so I feel like going for a Chargepoint or a 240v might be overkill.

240v has no additional installation cost compared with 120v, but it transmits twice the power. The reason that 120v outlets are cheap is because they are already there. If they had known when they were building that they need to wire 240v outlets, they could have done so cheaply.

You can have an electrician install an outlet, but the cost will be in the thousands. Somewhere between $1,000 and $5,000 depending on how much work needs to be done. The estimate is free, so no need to speculate until you have one.

Obviously, you understand the difficulty of you paying money to invest in your landlord's property. Be sure to consider moving.

 

[Doggiedog]

I'm in the same boat. I asked my building (I live in Fort Lee) if they would be willing to install a charger near my indoor parking spot but building management told me they could not. Something about how the building power is on a single circuit and charged a certain discounted rate by the power company. They can't go and resell the power to me because of this. There's a church across the street from me that seems to have a 7Kw charger. Not sure if it works though. There's also an EVGo charger at a rest stop about 5 miles from me that I think I'll need to use.

 

[Mrbrock]

User 212, I think by the OP saying they will charge him, he means for the power. That is why he quoted his electricity cost. There is no way to know until you ask. You will need to work with the management anyways to get your quote because you need to make sure the area you have the electrician quote for installation is allowable for you to use.