One of the main questions people might ask themselves when considering an electric vehicle (EV) is: Where am I going to charge it? For people who don’t have a charger installed at home, this question might make buying an EV that much more difficult.
The U.S. Department of Energy reports that 80% of EV charging occurs at home, yet single-family homes are more likely to have charging available than multi-family residences, such as those in condos and apartment complexes.
ChargePoint, one of the world’s largest EV charging networks, and OBE Power, an owner and operator of EV charging infrastructure, have announced an initiative to address that problem. The two companies plan to deploy 2,500 EV chargers at multifamily residences beginning this year.
The Vision
The hope for this partnership is to provide more accessible ways for people to charge their EVs. Electric chargers are becoming more common, but they are nowhere near matching the number of gas stations anytime soon. This can make it harder for people to commit to buying an EV, especially if they live in an area with fewer EV chargers.
ChargePoint and OBE Power want to help bridge that gap. Their mission is to provide EV charging “where people live, work, and stay.” This is a step toward making chargers more accessible to a wider range of families.
This plan also benefits the landlords and companies of these residences. They don’t have to be involved in installing or maintaining the EV chargers that will be deployed. Equally important, they don’t have to pay for them. OBE Power will cover installation, ongoing maintenance, insurance, repairs, and any other costs associated with the chargers.
With rising living costs and gas prices, expanding EV access for potential buyers would be a welcome step forward.
Read more: EV Charging Stations: Everything You Need To Know
