Electrical Vehicle Chargers – Some Special Considerations

The article discusses special considerations for condominium corporations regarding the installation of electric vehicle (EV) chargers. The regulations under the Condominium Act allow corporations to make upgrades for an EV charging system with proper notice to owners. If the cost of upgrades is estimated to be more than 10% of the corporation’s annual budget, owners must have an opportunity to requisition a meeting to vote on the proposed upgrades. Owners can request to install an EV charger, and the corporation must give approval, provided refusal isn’t justified based upon expert advice, and the owner enters into an agreement dealing with responsibility for all related costs and other matters. The article raises questions on whether owners who receive an opportunity to install an EV charger should be required to pay for the corporation’s infrastructure upgrades and how the available opportunities can be shared between interested owners if there is a limit on the available opportunities. The overriding principle is that all owners must be treated fairly, and the solutions may vary from case to case. The bottom line is that corporations may need to come up with fair ways to allocate or share the available opportunities and the related costs if opportunities to install EV chargers do not meet demand.