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What is an EV-ready building?

Your building is EV-ready if it has infrastructure that allows EV charging to be easily installed. This includes the physical space – and the wiring for future electricity supply equipment.

Even if you don’t own an EV yet, getting your building EV-ready can increase your property value, given more and more people are making the switch.

For more information on picking which EV charger type is best for you, visit charging your electric vehicle.

Steps to get your home EV-ready

Understand your home’s capacity for charging equipment

When deciding what equipment to install, you will need to consider:

  • Switchboard capacity – chargers need power from circuit breakers on a switchboard. Knowing if you have a spare slot on the board may trigger the requirement for a switchboard upgrade.
  • Maximum electrical demand – the maximum electrical demand will help inform how much spare capacity is available. This will inform the sizing of the charger and what times it is best to charge.

If you are unsure about the above, please check with a qualified electrician.

Get in touch with a professional to quote and install your charger

A qualified electrician or a charging infrastructure manufacturer can quote and install your charger. They will provide advice on what charging level can be achieved in your home, and the associated cost.

Typical chargers in the home:

  • Level 1 - Provides 14-21km of range per hour. Typically, it costs $500 to $2,000 (including the portable charging cord and a dedicated circuit upgrade for your home).
  • Level 2 - This provides 42-65km of range per hour, for most vehicles. Typically, costs $1,000 to $3,000 depending on charger speed and site complexity.

You should consider getting multiple quotes to ensure you are receiving a fair price and quality products that suits your requirements. After your charger has been installed, ensure you follow the maintenance instructions to ensure it is reliable and safe to operate.

Look into power saving options

Installing a charger will likely lead to an increase in energy consumption – and therefore higher electricity bills. To ensure you are not paying more than you need to, contact your electricity provider to discuss a plan that works with your charging habits.

You can also visit Victorian Energy Compare to ensure you are on the best retail plan. You could also consider shifting energy consumption across the day, as well as installing solar panels and a battery to further reduce your bills.

Visit Solar Victoria to see the rebates available.

Getting your apartment complex or workplace EV-ready

Installing EV charging at your apartment complex or workplace is more challenging than for a home with off-street parking. It involves much more planning and coordination with other parties.

In some cases, EV charging in your building or workplace may not be completely achievable. Some degree of public charging or a load management system may be required.

As part of the new requirements under the National Construction Code 2022 energy efficiency standards (commencing in Victoria on 1 May 2024) there must be space for switchboards and EV charging infrastructure in new builds for:

  • 100% of parking car spaces in apartment buildings
  • 10% of spaces in offices and retail
  • 20% of spaces in other commercial buildings.

Efficient load management for EV chargers

Load management systems allow you to control multiple chargers, or other high consuming devices, at the same time. Managing demand on the electricity supply from EV charging can help avoid costly upgrades to electricity mains and switchboard equipment.

Chargers can be programmed to charge at off-peak times and/or stage charging of cars in the order they are connected. The option to override the load management system (like boosting your electric hot water) may be included at additional cost.

EV-ready buildings for owners corporations

With electric vehicle sales increasing every year, more Victorians want access to affordable and convenient home charging.

Approximately 1 in 4 Victorians live in strata-managed residential buildings that haven’t been set up for EV charging, leaving many without an option to charge at home.

While owners corporations are facing pressure from residents to install EV charging infrastructure, the potential lack of electrical infrastructure and navigating often complex strata rules can make modifying existing multi-unit residential buildings a challenge.

The EV-ready buildings for owners corporations factsheet will help owners corporations through the process of installing EV chargers in multi-unit residential buildings.

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Page last updated: 18/07/24