INCREASING ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING ACCESS AT MULTI-UNIT DWELLINGS: WORKSHOP SUMMARY REPORT

The report identifies significant barriers to EV adoption for California's multi-unit dwelling (MUD) residents, including outdated electrical infrastructure, split incentives between landlords and tenants, and a lack of private capital. It proposes a multi-pronged approach to increase access through updated building codes, streamlined permitting, utility-led 'make-ready' investments, and the use of low-power Level 1 charging to reduce costs and grid strain. The document emphasizes that achieving California's goal of 5 million zero-emission vehicles by 2030 requires addressing these equity gaps, as MUD residents—particularly renters—will be a critical market segment for growth after 2025.

• Multi-unit dwellers, especially renters, are projected to be a major driver of EV market growth after 2025, making their inclusion essential for California to meet its transportation decarbonization goals.
• Charging access at MUDs is significantly lower than in single-family homes, with a survey showing that access does not exceed 40 percent even when accounting for Level 1 charging and parking shifts.
• Physical and regulatory barriers at existing MUDs include outdated electrical service and the risk that installing chargers will trigger expensive, unrelated building code updates.
• A 'split incentive' exists where building owners lack the financial motivation to invest in charging infrastructure because they do not receive the direct benefit of the electricity savings or the utility of the vehicle.
• Low-power Level 1 charging (120-volt outlets) is identified as a cost-effective alternative to Level 2 charging, costing approximately one-sixth as much per access point and reducing grid impact.
• Proposed policy solutions include adopting more stringent 'EV-ready' building codes for new construction and implementing a moratorium on unrelated code updates for MUDs that seek to install chargers.
• The report argues that public funding alone is insufficient and that utility regulation must evolve to allow private capital and third-party vendors to scale MUD charging solutions.

APA

BALDWIN, S., MYERS, A., & O’BOYLE, M. (2020). INCREASING ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING ACCESS AT MULTI-UNIT DWELLINGS: WORKSHOP SUMMARY REPORT. Energy Innovation. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Increasing-Electric-Vehicle-Charging-at-Multi-Unit-Dwellings_FINAL3.pdf

Chicago

BALDWIN, SARA, AMANDA MYERS, and MICHAEL O’BOYLE. INCREASING ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING ACCESS AT MULTI-UNIT DWELLINGS: WORKSHOP SUMMARY REPORT. Energy Innovation, 2020. https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Increasing-Electric-Vehicle-Charging-at-Multi-Unit-Dwellings_FINAL3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=BALDWIN |first1=SARA |last2=MYERS |first2=AMANDA |last3=O’BOYLE |first3=MICHAEL |title=INCREASING ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING ACCESS AT MULTI-UNIT DWELLINGS: WORKSHOP SUMMARY REPORT |publisher=Energy Innovation |date=September 2020 |url=https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Increasing-Electric-Vehicle-Charging-at-Multi-Unit-Dwellings_FINAL3.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{baldwin2020increasing, author = {BALDWIN, SARA and MYERS, AMANDA and O’BOYLE, MICHAEL}, title = {{INCREASING ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING ACCESS AT MULTI-UNIT DWELLINGS: WORKSHOP SUMMARY REPORT}}, institution = {Energy Innovation}, year = {2020}, month = sep, url = {https://energyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/Increasing-Electric-Vehicle-Charging-at-Multi-Unit-Dwellings_FINAL3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }