With one in five Australians living in apartments and building code standards that require new developments to be EV-ready, the race is now on to retrofit EV charging into existing apartment buildings.
The Strata Community Association has released a report outlining the challenges of the retrofit task, to ensure apartment dwellers are not left behind in the great transition towards EVs.
“The challenges explored in the report highlight the urgent need for comprehensive support for EV planning and infrastructure development in strata buildings,” SCA national vice-president and chair of its EV taskforce Josh Baldwin said.
“By equipping our strata communities with efficient and accessible EV infrastructure, we can further encourage EV adoption, and position the strata industry as a leader in sustainable development.”
The total number of EVs doubled in Australia in 2022 to more than 83,000 and they are projected to make up 49 per cent of total vehicle sales by 2030, the report stated. The SCA is calling for electrification policies and strategies to be incorporated into strata title buildings as quickly as they are into freestanding homes.
Who pays?
Almost all older buildings will need an electrical upgrade in order to accommodate the extra load involved in charging EVs. Figuring out who pays for a retrofit in an existing building can be a complex task. Typically, a decision to install EV infrastructure can progressed after a majority vote from the ownership corporation or strata committee.
Owners may need to pay contributions to upgrade the electrical infrastructure via the sinking fund or special levy, and may also have to pay separately for a charger. Some developments will require additional metering technology to be installed to track electricity usage from the charging stations so it can be billed directly to users.
The installation of upgraded electrical cabling and charging equipment can run into the thousands of dollars, and with almost half of apartments being rental property “a balance must be struck between consumer demand and owner commitments to EV infrastructure,” the report noted.
If owners vote against electrical upgrades for EV chargers and they are instead installed on an individual basis, early adopter owners with personal EV chargers will benefit until the grid capacity of the scheme is full.
After that, no more owners will be able to install chargers unless there is an expensive electrical upgrade. Properties with high levels of rental tenancies may find that owners vote against EV charging because they will not benefit from it.
Net Strata learning and development manager Andrew Tunks said fire safety is a big consideration for strata insurers. “If an owners’ corporation barrel ahead and install EV charging into an ageing building, you may have to roll out a new fire sprinkler system and flame retardant. Insurers may be more reluctant to insure a building if it has been retrofitted and fire safety improvements have been installed.
Strata title buildings can minimise electricity costs by installing an embedded network – a private electricity network connected to the main grid but independently operated by a company that manages supply and distribution within the building. This will allow EV charger users to “pay as you go” for the energy they use.
The SCA recommends that strata schemes pass specific by-laws to cover EV charging infrastructure and charging rules, and is also calling for government funding and incentives for existing strata buildings to install backbone electrical infrastructure that could include grants, subsidies and low-interest loans.
Woolworths adopts EV-powered truck fleet
Woolworths aims to electrify its entire home delivery fleet by 2030 with plans to buy more than 1000 EVs between now and then.
So far the supermarket group has purchased 27 new EVs which will deliver grocery orders to customers in Sydney’s CBD, inner west, Sutherland shire, St George region and the eastern suburbs and will operate out of its customer fulfilment centres in Mascot an Caringbah, which have EV charging infrastructure installed.
Two EV models supplied by Foton Motor and SIAC Motor will comprise the fleet. They are fitted with an electric refrigeration system and will be capable of making deliveries during the day and returning to base to charge overnight.
Woolworths also operates three heavy truck EVs across its supply chain logistics business. The new EV fleet will help it meet its stated target to reduce operational transport emissions by 60 per cent compared to 2023 and decommission more than 3000 internal combustion engine vehicles from its company fleet.
However, critics have dismissed Woolworths’ plan as merely “kicking the can down the road”. Adiona Tech chief executive Richard Savoie said the company was effectively greenwashing because it had only purchased 27 EVs which represented just 2 per cent of its delivery fleet.
Delivery fleets are some of the biggest contributors to Australia’s vehicle emissions, and a recent Adiona Tech report found that electrifying 10 vehicles used for last mile delivery would save as many carbon emissions as 56 household electric vehicle purchase.
The news comes soon after Volvo Group called for new road rules to enable heavier electric trucks to drive long distances and after it said it would start manufacturing electric trucks at its factory at Wacol in Queensland.