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Owning an EV as a renter. How do you do it?

4K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  XJ12 
#1 ·
Below is an article summarizing popular ways EV drivers own their car as a renter. Since charging can be a barrier to entry, renters may be dissuaded from going electric despite the numerous solutions.

For me personally, I arranged an agreement with my landlord. For the renters out there, how do you handle charging/owning an EV?

Owning an Electric Car as a Renter: The Complete Guide - Charged Future
 
#3 ·
Below is an article summarizing popular ways EV drivers own their car as a renter. Since charging can be a barrier to entry, renters may be dissuaded from going electric despite the numerous solutions.

For me personally, I arranged an agreement with my landlord. For the renters out there, how do you handle charging/owning an EV?

Owning an Electric Car as a Renter: The Complete Guide - Charged Future
I use option #1 and #4. I live in a high-rise building and charge Level 1 at 120v, 12 amps overnight for about 50 to 60 miles of range, with HOA permission.

I go to my local Mall every day where I walk for an hour and a half, and plug in there for free, giving me addition 40 miles or so, using a J-1772 Leve 2 charger. Every once in a while, the J-1772 are all full and I use my Jdapter an available Tesla port. Since I don't drive more than 50 miles every day, I don't need to charge every day.

On rare occasions, I use a CCS DC fast-charger at 35 cents/minute for extra range when needed.

Life is good and I love my 2017 Bolt EV that I've owner for the past 2 years.
 
#8 ·
I also made an arrangement with my landlord. Don't even TRY to ask them to pay for it, they don't care and right now, you're paying rent just fine.

I just up and installed 220 to the garage, Maybe my case was special, but I feel that it's actually probably pretty typical. Here's my experience:

Well known fact, Handymen are typically what many landlords hire, and they're slop artists. SO, if you tell them that you're going to hire an actual, competent contractor out of your pocket to install an outlet, hook it to YOUR meter, and assure them that no intervention will be required on their part aside from getting a copy of the work order and a picture of the final install, IF THEY EVEN CARE, then I predict you'll face little resistance. And I repeat, don't ask them to pay a dime. Take the charger when you leave, and write off the cost of putting in the outlet.
 
#13 ·
I'm a renter, however I'm in a townhouse that has a garage. I was fortunate enough that the laundry room is right next to the garage and I installed a gas dryer, leaving the 10-30 electric outlet available.

However prior to purchasing, I discussed options with my landlord, and having a 14-50 installed in the garage was somehting he was OK with. I may still do that so I don't have to snake a cable through the laundry room door.

If I were in my old apartment (parking lot, no garage), I would not have considered an EV.
 
#14 ·
Below is an article summarizing popular ways EV drivers own their car as a renter. Since charging can be a barrier to entry, renters may be dissuaded from going electric despite the numerous solutions.

For me personally, I arranged an agreement with my landlord. For the renters out there, how do you handle charging/owning an EV?

Owning an Electric Car as a Renter: The Complete Guide - Charged Future
I read that in the UK some people are renting out their garages and parking spaces to EV owners. I do not rent but if I did and my landlord objected to a charger, I would look for someone close by to rent a parking space on a monthly basis. Work out the details as to who pays for the charger/installation (no rent for X months?), (Rent payments but owner pays for charger/installation?). If possible try for a L1 in a garage with electricity---no installation costs.
 
#16 ·
A lot depends on where you live and where you work. I'm not a renter, own a home and have L2 in my garage so my opinion may not count as much.

For instance, I work in a large office park in the suburban part of our city. In that office park are around 20 or so L2 chargers, including four right in front of the building I work in. So if I were renting I would simply charge while at work.

Downtown there are several high rise apartment/condo buildings with parking garages that have L2 chargers in them. There are also several suburban apartment complexes, including one about 1/4 mile away from my house that have L2 charging stations in their parking lot. So if you can move and one of these such places exist where you live then move to an apartment or condo that has L2 charging.

Additionally, our city installed street-side L2 chargers downtown that are completely free (no charge for use). So if you lived downtown and weren't in one of the high-rises that provided L2 chargers this would be an additional option for you.

Another option are grocery stores. There are two chains in our city that have L2 chargers in almost all their store parking lots. And in both cases the stores currently subsidize the chargers, so charging is completely free. These are going to be located in suburban areas, so if you're renting, try to rent near one of these, or possibly work near one. Then you can charge there absolutely for no cost.

Of course there are still going to be large amounts of renters that live in cities that don't have much charging infrastructure. I'm in Kansas City so I'd think most cities are much more progressive than we are here, so I'd expect the only folks not having what I have would be in cities much smaller than KC, such as Wichita, Des Moines, Omaha, Little Rock and such sized cities. And for those people you may just be out of luck or may have much more work finding a solution. Here I don't think it would be overly difficult to make it work as a renter.
 
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