InfinitiGuy
Member
After nearly 6 months since I submitted my initial request, looks like I'm finally getting the charger installed at my private parking spot next week. Hopefully everything goes well. The joys of living in a condo.
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I live in a concrete condo built in 2005. I have applied for hydro rebate and it has been 4 weeks and no pre-approval yet.
As for the electrical install, I paid for strata electrician to do a basic assessment. Checked the main electrical panel to see what load could be installed. Main panel can support a few 80amp installs but I chose to go with 30amp so that future EV owners can install as well without needing major panel upgrades. I chose 50amp wiring in case I do upgrade from 30amp to 50amp breaker in the future. Panel to my parking spot is 140 feet away and will require aluminum casing for the wiring and drilling through concrete walls.
Dedicated meter will be installed in the panel by the 30amp breaker and I will be charged monthly by strata at a minimum of $50/month.
Electrical install = $1700
Dedicated meter install = $300
Wall Charger = $1000 for Chargepoint or $711 for Tesla
Strata hydro fee = $50/month minimum
Because I will be charged based on the meter and not a flat fee, I am concerned about unauthorized use of the charger when I am not home. There are a few other EV and Teslas in the building and none have their own home chargers installed. I am willing to let others use my charger as long as they fairly pay for the electricity they use.
As for the electrical install, I paid for strata electrician to do a basic assessment. Checked the main electrical panel to see what load could be installed. Main panel can support a few 80amp installs but I chose to go with 30amp so that future EV owners can install as well without needing major panel upgrades. I chose 50amp wiring in case I do upgrade from 30amp to 50amp breaker in the future. Panel to my parking spot is 140 feet away and will require aluminum casing for the wiring and drilling through concrete walls.
Dedicated meter will be installed in the panel by the 30amp breaker and I will be charged monthly by strata at a minimum of $50/month.
Electrical install = $1700
Dedicated meter install = $300
Wall Charger = $1000 for Chargepoint or $711 for Tesla
Strata hydro fee = $50/month minimum
Because I will be charged based on the meter and not a flat fee, I am concerned about unauthorized use of the charger when I am not home. There are a few other EV and Teslas in the building and none have their own home chargers installed. I am willing to let others use my charger as long as they fairly pay for the electricity they use.
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If it becomes an issue, you could put a lockout device on the cord or the charger to keep people from freeloading. Even a sign could work, depending on your ‘neighbors’.
Can you post a message/notice in a common area of the building to see if people want to club together to share the cost & use?
Sounds like you are paying for 100% of the costs so not sure how the strata justifies a minimum charge. If you are on vacation for a month, you are still paying $50 even though there's no cost to the strata?
As for the other resident EV owners, may be good to take a proactive approach and let them know what you are planning and work out a mutually agreeable solution. Perhaps some are willing to pay a portion of the initial costs. Have the strata call an extraordinary meeting for the topic of EV charging. Waiting until after the charger is installed could likely get other EV owners to simply assume it's a strata asset that's free for all residents to use.
InfinitiGuy
Member
My condo corp is asking for $100/month which I feel is too much for the first 3 months and then if my usage is below or higher than that they will adjust it. My install costs not including the Tesla wall charger that I purchased on my own is $3700.
I park in a high traffic area so most owners will drive by my Tesla. Two other EV owners (1 being a Tesla owner)asked me how I charge my car. I replied that I used the super chargers and that I will be installing a wall connector. I informed them of my up front costs of $2700 for labour, installation, and wall charger along with the $50/month strata. I welcomed them to use my charger if they were willing to pay at least the minimum of their kw charged, assuming the posted hydro rate of $0.11/kw. I got the 24 foot cable so that the 4 other surrounding cars could use the charger if they ever got an EV in the future. For me, I drive a lot and my estimated charging use will be about $40/month.
The surprised response I got from the other owners is that they wanted to use my charger for free?!?! I got the sad story that they only need to charge once a week at the most and they barely drive their car. And if they used my charger it wouldn’t add much cost to me at all?!?!
That is why I am hoping to find some sort of lockout device. I thought offering to be a nice fellow Tesla owner was the right thing to do but I don’t want to be used and abused.
Understandable.
These are lockout devices intended for cable & tap lockouts. They’re pretty easy to find and use, and can be easily modified to fit around and secure your charger plug. They’re a bit obnoxious, but they do the job.
A better solution would be to lock out the breaker, but I can understand if the breaker is not readily accessible.
I'm in Surrey and went through the whole process somewhat recently.
My unit's meter is too far away from my parking stall, so I was able to utilize the building's bylaws and *trade* parking stalls with another unit so that I was right beside the electrical room. Electrical work to wire up 60A service including a submeter was around $1200. I'm wired directly into the building's electrical service, so I have to reimburse the strata for the electricity I use.
I already had a Tesla EV connector so that wasn't factored into the price.
My unit's meter is too far away from my parking stall, so I was able to utilize the building's bylaws and *trade* parking stalls with another unit so that I was right beside the electrical room. Electrical work to wire up 60A service including a submeter was around $1200. I'm wired directly into the building's electrical service, so I have to reimburse the strata for the electricity I use.
I already had a Tesla EV connector so that wasn't factored into the price.
Hmm... Less than $30. They haven't been consistent on the whole "charging me for electricity" deal but it averages less than $30.
I'm in Surrey and living in a condo also? Do you happen to be in one of the condos by King George SkyTrain station?
I'm really surprised someone agrees to officially swap a spot with you seeing as having an outlet could be an advantage. How did you go about officially swapping?
I'm closer to Gateway.
My original parking stall was closer to the parkade exit, so it was beneficial for the person.
My building had parking bylaws and the procedure to swap was listed in there.
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