Effective EV Charging Management for Apartments and Condos

 
 

Electric vehicle sales in the U.S. are forecasted to exceed 2 million by the end of 2021. Almost every vehicle manufacturer has annound either hybrid or full battery-electric models, and many are already seeing significant sales. At this rate, the U.S. is could see up to 1.28 million EV sales in 2026 alone. This new cast of transportation has and will continue to put pressure on apartmnet ownership and condos HOAs to ensure that charging infrastructure exists for tenants and owners. This also means that whole new approaches will be required to assist those same groups and providing secure access as well as to manage and allocate costs accurately.

Product Brochure

Electric Vehicle Market Growth

US EV new vehicle sales chart 2015-2021

Source: Clean Technical, “Forecast: 2021 US EV Sales To Increase 70% Year Over Year”, https://cleantechnica.com/2020/10/30/forecast-2021-us-ev-sales-to-increase-70-year-over-year

 
Electric Vehicle adoption is experiencing extremely rapid growth. Electric cars had their biggest year ever in 2019, even as storm clouds gathered over their future. The numbers were huge. Automakers committed $225 billion to electrification in the coming years. At current growth rates, there will be more than 30 million electric vehicles (EVs) on U.S. roads within a decade, and that was projected before California, New Jersey, and Massachusetts called to ban gas car sales by 2035.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reports that more than 80% of EV charging is done at home. The result is that apartments as well as condo/townhome facilities will need to provide EV owners an option for charging their vehicles at home. As more and more drivers adopt EVs, the ability to charge these vehicles at their apartment or condominium will become increasingly important.

Types of EV Charging

Electric vehicle charging is available at three levels, based on the rate at which a vehicle can accept electric charge. The higher the level, the faster is the charging rate. However, the highest rate comes at a much higher cost both in equipment as well as the needed infrastructure.
 
EV Charging Options
Level 1
Level 1 charging uses a standard 110-volt AC circuit available in all residential locations. This is simply a standard AC outlet in the US. Adding 20 miles of ramge takes approximately 90 minutes and adding 100 miles of range would take over 7 hours.
Level 2
Level 2 charging uses 240 volt circuit (like a dryer circuit in your home). Most Level 2 chargers are directly wired, so installation costs are higher than Level 1. Adding 20 miles of range takes approximately 15 minutes and adding 100 miles of range would take roughly 1 hour 15 minutes.
DC Fast Charging
Direct current fast charging (DCFC) is the fastest and most expensive option, using a commercial-grade 208, 440 or 480 volt circuit that is converted into direct current. Because of its high power demands, DC Fast Charging often requires an upgrade to a site’s electrical service. Adding 20 miles of ramge would take just a single minute and adding 100 miles of range would take roughly 5 minutes.

Determining EV Charging Costs with the 814-EV

 
FuelForce 814-EV

The FuelForce 814-EV Advanced Power Controller allows apartment owner and condo HOAs to provide EV charging, with the tenant/owner being able to self-identify and be authorized for the dispensing of electricity to their electric vehicle. As the power is dispensed, each transaction is logged and the system collects accurate and valuable power usage data. Tenants or condo/townhome owners can get the needed access to EV charging and property management can be assured the electricity used is tied to that tenant or owner and can bill back accordingly for the power.

Identification can be done by a keypad, proximity card or key fob, or an RFID-based automated identification approach. This ensures that the electricity use is associated with that tenant/owner. Additionally, a card-reader can be added for the acceptance of standard credit/debit cards. This capability allows for guests to charge their EVs, but does require additional financial system setup and fees.

Key Capabilities of the FuelForce 814-EV

814-EV charging and authorization

Authorization

By securing the charging locations, charging power is kept safe from theft. Authorization can be based on the vehicle or tenant/owner, these factors easily managed from our industry-leading cloud-based reporting platform, FuelServe.net. With accurate authorization, you control all aspects of security including access to the fueling sites, access to the island terminal, access to sensitive data, and authorization for dispensing fuel. FuelForce's physical design and flexible user/account-based protection provide for extremely secure fueling.

fleet EV platform - sophisticated power usage reporting

Sophisticated Power Usage Reporting

The FuelForce/EV platform is managed by FuelServe.net, which provides a detailed and customizable reporting platform. Securely available on any platform with a standard browser, property managers and HOA admins can access reporting by site or by tenant/owner from a desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. With the FuelForce system, EV charging costs can be accurately allocated to the appropriate tenant/owner based on your varying utility rates.

Peak perios lockout chart

Peak Period Lockout

The FuelForce/EV platform allows property managers to put a hold on charging during peak billing times. Transactions are put on hold and then restarted at the end of the lockout period, with all power use reported in a single transaction record. Peak Period Lockout can help reduce the impact of EV charging on the total electricity costs. Effective use of the Peak Period Lockout feature can also help avoid additional costs due to utility demand charges.

Configuration Options

The 814-EV provides a control point for electric vehicle charging, eliminating unauthorized charging by validating each transaction and tying that data back to the tenant/owner. The 814-EV sits between a standard electrical panel and the EV chargers, and controls and measures the power used to charge the vehicles. You will need to work with a licensed electrician as you may need to upgrade your electrical panel. If you are adding a large number, you should also work with your local utility as you may also need a transformer upgrade. Pre-planning efforts like these will save you both money and headaches.
FuelForce 814-EV configuration

FuelForce® 814-EV Configuration

The 814-EV includes our EV Quad power management control boards, each capable of managing 4 Level 2 charging circuits (40 amps each). The 814-EV can support up to 4 EV Quads for a total of 16 charging circuits under management. The EV Quads are housed in a separate NEMA enclosure and are controlled by the 814-EV. They provide the management of the attached charging circuits.

814-EVR – Remote Island Terminal Option

The 814-EVR Remote Island Terminal (RIT) is a cost-saving option for sites with multiple charging areas at the same site. Each “master” 814-EV controller can connect up to 3 RITs, allowing the management of up to 64 chargers. The master controller keeps the transaction logs and communicates with the cloud-based management software through a single cell connection, instead of having cell modems in each charger (see diagram below).

FuelForce 814-EVR EV Remote Island Terminal Option

The “master” provides the authorization information to the RIT and captures all of the charging transaction detail from its own as well as each connected RIT.

The 814-EVR is provided at a price point that can significantly reduce overall system costs. Sites with a Remote Island configuration have access to the same identification, authorization, logging, and reporting as any other FuelForce® installation.