EV charging in multi-unit buildings

What does 'EV Ready' mean?

'EV Ready' means a building has all the infrastructure necessary for each unit resident to purchase and install their own charger in their allotted parking space. In multi-unit buildings, this typically involves installing distribution boards, cabling, isolation points, a load management system and billing management.

Making buildings EV Ready means residents can transition to an EV, and easily install a home charger, at a time that suits them.

Why is this important?

Most existing multi-unit buildings in the ACT are not EV Ready and will need electrical or structural upgrades to car park areas before EV chargers can be safely installed. An EV Ready system will ensure that charging does not interrupt other building services, and that all residents are billed for their electricity consumption.

Making new buildings EV ready

To support EV uptake in Canberra, it is important that we design and construct new buildings that are EV Ready.

From 15 January 024, the National Construction Code requires certain building types (e.g., apartment complexes) to meet new energy efficiency requirements that facilitate the future installation of on-site renewables and electric vehicle charging.

In addition, from 27 September 2024, the Territory Plan requires all new multi-unit developments to include EV Ready infrastructure to every unit’s car space.

EV ready information for new buildings is available on the ACT planning website.

Retrofitting existing buildings

For existing multi-unit buildings, getting EV Ready usually means retrofitting electrical infrastructure into parking areas. If you are a resident, owners corporation or strata manager who is ready to start their EV Ready journey, download the Making your building EV ready guide [826.4 KB].

Making existing buildings EV Ready in a safe and equitable way is often more complex and more expensive than installing EV Ready infrastructure during construction. To better understand the scale and cost of this challenge, the ACT Government undertook a Residential Strata EV Ready Pilot Study.

The Pilot Study found that most buildings will not need a power supply upgrade to install load managed EV Ready infrastructure. A load management system ensures that EV chargers do not add to the building’s peak electricity load, but will instead utilise available electrical capacity during off-peak times such as overnight or during the middle of the day.

Are there other solutions available?

In most cases EV Ready will be the fairest, most convenient, and over time the cheapest solution; however, the upfront costs can be significant.

Some buildings may consider installing shared chargers as an interim measure. The number of shared chargers you can install will be limited by the number of visitor bays residents are willing to dedicate to EV charging, and the available power supply. Unlike a load managed EV Ready solution, you will have to assume that shared chargers will be in use at full capacity during your building’s peak electricity demand in the evening. As EV uptake grows the building will likely need to switch to an EV Ready solution to provide charging for all residents.

In some multi-unit developments, such as townhouses or single-storey apartment complexes, it may be possible for residents to connect directly to their own metered power board in their unit. In this case, works must be completed by a qualified electrician and in consultation with the executive committee.

For apartment buildings where constraints make the cost of an EV Ready solution too expensive, residents can use the public charging network to charge their EVs. The network is expanding all the time, and you can find your nearest public charger on PlugShare.