Best EV Charger for Apartment Buildings: What Should You Choose?
If you are looking for the best EV charger for an apartment building, you might expect the answer to be a particular brand, model or charging speed.
But apartment buildings are very different from houses.
For a house, you may be able to compare a few EV chargers, choose the features you like and have an electrician install one.
In an apartment building, the charger itself should usually be one of the last things you choose.
Why? Because the charger needs to work as part of a much larger system involving the building's electrical capacity, EV infrastructure, load management, communications, billing and future charging needs.
So before asking "Which EV charger should we buy?", the better question is: "What EV charging system does our apartment building need?" Once that has been determined, you can select the chargers that are compatible with that system.
Why the Charger Should Be One of the Last Decisions
Before comparing charger brands or models, an apartment building needs to answer some more important questions:
How much electrical capacity is available for EV charging?
How many residents need EV charging now and in the future?
Will chargers be supplied from individual meters or common-property electricity?
How will power be distributed throughout the car park?
How will multiple EV chargers share the available capacity?
How will individual electricity usage be measured and billed?
What communications infrastructure is required?
How will additional chargers be added as EV ownership increases?
These decisions determine the EV charging system.Once the system is designed, the building can then determine which chargers are suitable and compatible.
For Apartment Buildings, the EV Charger Needs to Be Smart
For a building-wide Level 2 charging system, we generally recommend smart, network-connected EV chargers.
A smart charger can communicate with other parts of the EV charging system rather than simply drawing electricity whenever a vehicle is plugged in.
This becomes increasingly important in apartment buildings because you are not designing for just one EV. A building might start with three chargers but eventually need to support 20, 50 or even 100+ EVs.
Smart chargers can:
Work with load management, allowing more chargers to share the building's available electrical capacity.
Record individual energy usage, which is important where residents need to be billed separately.
Be monitored and managed, making it easier to operate and support a growing charging network.
We generally recommend chargers that support OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol), an open communication standard widely used in smart EV charging systems.
However, OCPP compatibility alone does not mean every charger will automatically work with every load management, billing or charging management system.
The physical EV charger is therefore just one component of a much larger system.
Your Choice of Charger Will Depend on the System You Choose
Once the EV charging infrastructure and management system have been determined, the building can look at the smart chargers that are compatible with that solution.
This is where another important difference between EV charging providers becomes apparent.
Generally, you will find two types of providers.
Single-Brand EV Charging Providers
Some providers build their solution around one particular charger brand or ecosystem.
If your building chooses that system, residents may be required to use the charger brand or specific models supported by that provider.
This can make the system relatively straightforward, but it may also give the building less choice when purchasing additional or replacement chargers in the future.
Multi-Brand EV Charging Providers
Other providers design systems that support two or more compatible charger brands.
This gives the building and residents greater choice. Different charger brands may offer different features, warranties and price points.
However, multi-brand does not mean any charger can simply be connected. Each charger still needs to be compatible with the building's load management, communications, billing and charging management systems.
Which Approach Is Better?
There isn't necessarily one answer for every apartment building.
A single-brand solution may suit some buildings, while others may place greater value on having a choice of compatible charger brands.
What is important is understanding what your building is committing to before selecting the EV charging system.
Ask your provider:
Which charger brands can we use with this system?
Are we required to purchase one particular charger?
Can residents choose between different compatible chargers?
If a charger model is discontinued, what alternatives can we use?
Can other charger brands be integrated in the future?
How Future Charging Solutions Can Help
At Future Charging Solutions, we take a vendor-independent approach to apartment EV charging.
Rather than starting with a particular charger and trying to design the building around it, we start with the building.
We assess the site, available electrical capacity, parking arrangements and charging requirements, then design an EV charging solution that can meet both current and future demand. From there, we recommend suitable EV chargers that are compatible with the proposed system.
Your one-stop EV charging partner — unbiased advice, tailored solutions and ongoing support, from design to supply, installation and maintenance of EV charging stations, whatever the brand.
