Conveniently charging cheaply at home is a major benefit of owning an EV, but home charging isn’t possible for many who live in multi-family housing. Last month, California’s CalGreen Building Code Commission voted unanimously to increase EV charging infrastructure in new apartments, condos, hotels, motels and non-residential parking garages (workplaces, commercial sites, etc.).
The new building codes include more ambitious “Tier 1” and “Tier 2” requirements that cities can easily adopt if they wish to. Previously to accelerate EV adoption, particularly in underserved communities, Sacramento has supported the more aggressive Tier 2 requirements. Sacramento should continue this direction with the new CalGreen Tier 2 requirements in new construction. These are:
- Hotels, Motels, Apartments, Condos with less than 20 units: 40% of parking spaces have EV infrastructure
- Hotels, Motels, Apartments, Condos with 20 or more units: 55% of parking spaces have EV infrastructure
- Non-Residential: 45% of parking spaces have EV infrastructure
These start January 1, 2023 for all new California construction. See a summary of the new building codes here.
