Cost of new home could go up if Kelowna requires electric vehicle charges
The cost of a new housing unit could go up anywhere from $200 to $1,600 per parking stall if Kelowna city council decides to require electric vehicle chargers in every new home.
A staff recommendation going to council Monday, Feb. 7, asks that council agree to change city zoning rules to require at least one electric vehicle charging station be included with each new housing unit.
Costs for single-family homes can range from $200 to $500, depending on the site configuration, load and panel sizing, the report says. Retrofitting existing homes can cost from $500 to $1,200.
For new multi-family housing, each charging station can range in price from $300 to $3,000, the report says. The cost is cut to a maximum of $1,600 if an Electric Vehicle Energy Management System, which is also called smart charging, is used to share electrical loads over numerous chargers, which is common.
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“There were 525 electric vehicles registered in the community in 2020, compared to 370 in 2019, 180 in 2018, and 110 in 2017,” the report says. “Kelowna’s electric vehicle community survey indicated that about one-third of non-electric vehicle owners plan to purchase a new vehicle within two years, and another one-third within two to five years.”
The federal government has mandated that all new vehicles sold in Canada be zero emission by 2035.
City staff are also recommending that council directs them to look into electric vehicle charging rules for all new institutional, commercial, industrial and service station developments.
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