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Are their buildings in the Toronto area that are electric car friendly. Anyone own a volt that has put a charger in their building.
Volt ownership and condo/lofts living in Toronto
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Can't answer you question about Toronto, but as a heads up I live in a condo and have for a year just charged off 110 volts with no real issues. On the weekends it would be nice to charge a little faster but during the week the car always sits overnight so it is full in the morning. And of course it has a gas engine so really no worry. But I'm like most Volt owners and suffer from "gas anxiety" the fear of using gas!
I can't speak to the exact ones, but yes.
The one I know of (because it made the news) was one advertising a "free" Nissan Leaf when you purchased an EV-ready parking spot along with your condo.
http://insideevs.com/toronto-buy-condo-get-free-nissan-leaf/
It will be hit and miss for getting retrofits done in condos that weren't built ready for it.
A lot of negative experiences dealing with condo boards and getting even a simple 120V outlet put in.
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Still on the fence about buying a volt either the gen 1 or gen 2 because we will be moving into a condo in about 2 years .I have done some reading on the prius prime and am wondering if it may be a better option because it is more of hybred as opposed to an EV with a range extender.
In two years, who knows how many places will have adopted "EVSE available" as a feature of their property? "Before you buy" is an excellent time to enter into discussions about EVSE installation as well. The Volt does reasonably well as a hybrid all by itself as 5l/100km is reachable. (And as for the Prime, the only real reason for it over a regular Prius is the fact that it also can be plugged in, so it faces the same issues for the condo as the Volt.)
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I'm in this situation right now. wrong of me was to assume it would be easy-peasy... Long story short: I own a condo in a building of 16. 4 x 4 floors. I live on the 4th floor. My meter is in interior garage mech room, which is 25 feet away from my interior parking spot. And of course my electrical panel is in my condo, on the fourth floor.
I'd like to have a 240 outlet installed near my parking spot. The electrician is coming Tuesday to look at the sit and give me estimate. My idea was to split after the hydro meter in the mech room, install a sub panel, and flex conduit to the parking spot outlet. I'm not sure if that is within code (the split after the meter part)
Other solution is that there are 2 empty hydro meter in the mech room (for expansion), so same as above except start from fresh hydro meter and I'll 2 meters on my hydro bill. (although this would cost more I think due to the price of the meter and the hydro guy has to come in for that(more labour))
One of the concern of the condo board of directors, is, and I quote "If we let you do this, how do we let others do the same, let says 4 more people would want this?
So, anyhow, I'll wait and see what the master electrician says on Tuesday and we'll go from there.
I'll keep update...
I'd like to have a 240 outlet installed near my parking spot. The electrician is coming Tuesday to look at the sit and give me estimate. My idea was to split after the hydro meter in the mech room, install a sub panel, and flex conduit to the parking spot outlet. I'm not sure if that is within code (the split after the meter part)
Other solution is that there are 2 empty hydro meter in the mech room (for expansion), so same as above except start from fresh hydro meter and I'll 2 meters on my hydro bill. (although this would cost more I think due to the price of the meter and the hydro guy has to come in for that(more labour))
One of the concern of the condo board of directors, is, and I quote "If we let you do this, how do we let others do the same, let says 4 more people would want this?
So, anyhow, I'll wait and see what the master electrician says on Tuesday and we'll go from there.
I'll keep update...
Case by case basis as it all depends on the HOA...My HOA said in order for a charger to be approved only if its attached to your meter, include the electricians estimate and to include images of the charger itself and any visual items such as the conduit...With that approval I inquired about swapping parking spots near my meter (my spot was very far away) and I could find anyone willing to swap without a four digit price tag...I later heard that someone submitted a charger estimate which was disapproved, they said they don't want un-uniform changers but were okay with an outlet attached to your meter and let you know that the HOA would have the right to use the outlet to your meter in an emergency and would have zero involvement in enforcing others from using your outlet...
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LOL... they probably complained about having cable TV and Washer/Dryer hookups too... I mean sheesh, now everyone will want one
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I've been casually looking at condos in the US (i.e. going to open houses when I see something interesting). At each one, I ask about EV charging, and the realtors eyes get real big and they say "oh, I don't know, no one's ever asked about that before". Sigh, we're a long way away from having this be an easy thing... I'd be much more interested in several condos if I knew getting charging access wouldn't be impossible and/or a giant headache.
I will say that a new (luxury) apartment complex near me installed a free single L2 station. But it's one for the whole complex, and would be a very far walk to most apartments unless you happened to get in one specific building. They positioned it by their club house, I assume for good PR, which of course makes it not ideal for the people who'd actually use it. I asked them if anyone used it and they said just one guest with an i3 who visited friends living there.
I will say that a new (luxury) apartment complex near me installed a free single L2 station. But it's one for the whole complex, and would be a very far walk to most apartments unless you happened to get in one specific building. They positioned it by their club house, I assume for good PR, which of course makes it not ideal for the people who'd actually use it. I asked them if anyone used it and they said just one guest with an i3 who visited friends living there.
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Update 31 June 2017:
This system was approved for installation by the HOA:
https://rve.ca/controleur-de-charge/dcc-condo/
So the cost will be triple a normal home garage install. ho well... at least I'll be able to charge and it will increase the re-sale value of my condo
Cheers
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Cool. I'm just a renter in my condo building but the HOA is willing to install a regular 120V outlet near my parking stall. Should get the estimate shortly and hot damn! I've been charging at a TD Bank charger a block away in the evenings.
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