Apartment & Condo EV Charging: Shared Supply, Separate Bills.
Multi-unit buildings have to share one electrical supply between many residents, agree who pays for what, and bill each driver fairly. Those three questions shape the whole project.
Assigned Bays, Shared Bays or Both?
| Parking setup | Typical stay | What fits |
|---|---|---|
| Assigned bays in a garage | Overnight | A 7 kW wallbox per bay, or socket wallboxes residents use with their own cable, sharing power through load management |
| Shared, unassigned bays | Overnight or a few hours | A pool of shared AC bays with booking and an idle fee once charging ends |
| Visitor parking | 1–3 h | A few 11–22 kW AC bays near the entrance |
| Buildings with very limited supply | Overnight | Lower-power charging on many bays with load management, rather than a few fast chargers |
| Car-share and short-stay bays | Under 1 h | A compact DC charger, if the supply allows it |
How Much Power Do Residents Actually Need?
Residents park overnight for 10 hours or more, so modest power shared across many bays meets most daily needs.
| Charging Power | Range Added per Hour | Time to Add 100 km (62 mi) | Good Fit For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.7 kW AC16 A, single-phase | ≈ 21 km / 13 mi | ≈ 4.9 h | Shared bays with tight power limits |
| 7.4 kW ACSingle-phase wallbox | ≈ 41 km / 25 mi | ≈ 2.4 h | Assigned resident bays |
| 9.6 kW Level 2North America, 40 A plug-in | ≈ 53 km / 33 mi | ≈ 1.9 h | Resident bays with NEMA 14-50 receptacles |
| 11 kW ACThree-phase wallbox | ≈ 61 km / 38 mi | ≈ 1.6 h | Buildings with a three-phase supply to each bay |
Estimates assume average consumption of 18 kWh per 100 km (about 3.5 miles per kWh), and do not include charging losses; real results vary with the vehicle, temperature and battery level.
Settle These Before Anyone Orders a Charger.
Who approves it
Most buildings need approval from the board, HOA, strata or owners’ association. Bring a supply study and a cost-sharing proposal to the meeting.
Who pays for installation
Choose between a building-wide installation paid from common funds and individual chargers paid by each resident. Many buildings fund the cabling together and let residents buy their own charger.
Resident rights
In some regions residents have a legal right to install a charger at their own bay, subject to reasonable conditions. Check the rules in your country or state.
Supply study first
Measure the building’s spare capacity before deciding how many bays to equip. Load management lets many chargers share it.
Fire safety in garages
Covered and underground car parks may need extra fire safety measures. Agree charger locations with your fire engineer.
Make every bay EV-ready
Running cable containment to every bay now makes later chargers a quick fit-out instead of a new project.
Everyone Pays for What They Use.
Per-resident accounts
Each resident gets an RFID card or app account, so every session is tied to one person.
Monthly statements
The platform produces monthly kWh totals per resident, ready for the management company to bill.
Shared bay rules
Idle fees and booking keep shared bays fair when there are more EVs than chargers.
Owners and renters
Accounts move with the resident, so a new tenant starts with a clean balance.
Chargers That Fit Multi-Unit Buildings.
Specifications from our current product catalogue. Certificates are listed per model in every quote.
EV-ACT3204E wallbox
- 7 kW, 32 A, 230 V single-phase
- Tethered Type 2 cable, 5 m or 7 m
- RFID card, app and plug-and-charge start
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, 4G optional
Best for assigned bays on a single-phase supply.
EV-ACT3208PE socket wallbox
- Up to 22 kW, 6–32 A, three-phase
- Type 2 socket: drivers use their own cable
- Over-current, over-temperature and control-pilot fault protection
- IP56
Best for assigned bays where residents use their own cable.
EV-ACT1602PE wallbox
- 11 kW, 16 A, 380–400 V three-phase
- Tethered Type 2 cable, CEE 5-pin plug
- RFID card, app and plug-and-charge start
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, 4G optional
Best for shared bays on a three-phase supply.
EV-ACT3204PE wallbox
- 22 kW, 32 A, 380–400 V three-phase
- Tethered Type 2 cable, CEE 5-pin plug
- RFID card, app and plug-and-charge start
- IP66
Best for visitor bays near the entrance.
EV-ACT3204U / EV-ACT3204T
- 32 A, 7.68 kW, 240 V
- J1772 (U) or NACS (T), 25 ft cable
- NEMA 14-50 plug
- App and plug-and-charge start
Best for assigned bays in US and Canadian buildings.
EV-ACT4001U / EV-ACT4001T
- Up to 40 A, 9.6 kW, 208–240 V
- J1772 (U) or NACS (T), 25 ft cable
- NEMA 14-50 plug, needs a 50 A breaker
- NEMA 4 / IP66, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Best for shared and visitor bays in North America.
Final circuit sizing and permits must follow your local electrical code and be confirmed by a licensed electrician.
Rules to Check Before You Install.
Private chargers for residents, employees or company vehicles face fewer payment rules than public ones, but safety, grid and smart-charging rules still apply. If members of the public can use them, public-charger payment rules apply too.
United States & Canada
- Safety listing from a recognized testing lab (UL, ETL or CSA mark) for the exact model
- Installation to NEC Article 625 in the US or the Canadian Electrical Code, usually under an electrical permit
- Connectors: SAE J1772 or NACS (SAE J3400)
- In California, renters and condo owners have a legal right to request a charger (Civil Code 1947.6 and 4745), subject to conditions
European Union
- CE marking, with chargers built to IEC 61851
- Connector: Type 2
- In Germany, chargers up to 11 kW must be registered with the grid operator, and chargers above 11 kW need its approval before installation
- The revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) requires charging points and pre-cabling in new and majorly renovated buildings with car parks, as transposed by each country
United Kingdom
- UKCA or CE marking
- Connector: Type 2
- Home and workplace chargers sold in Great Britain must meet the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021, including smart functionality, default off-peak charging hours and a randomised start delay
- Installation by a qualified electrician to BS 7671, with the local network operator notified
How Residents Pay for Charging.
The right model depends on who owns the chargers and whether parking is assigned. Most buildings use one of these three.
Assigned Bay, Billed to Resident
Best for: Buildings with assigned parking.
How it works: Each charger is tied to one resident through RFID or the app, and usage is billed per kWh.
Watch out for: Fair cost sharing for the installation and common infrastructure.
Shared Bays, Pay-per-Use
Best for: Buildings with unassigned or visitor parking.
How it works: Residents book or queue for shared bays and pay per kWh through the app.
Watch out for: Rotation rules and idle fees so shared bays do not stay blocked overnight.
Included in Rent or Fees
Best for: Rental buildings and amenity-led developments.
How it works: Charging is included in rent or association fees, with access limited to residents through RFID cards.
Watch out for: Heavy users. A monthly energy cap, or a per-kWh charge above a set amount, keeps it fair.
Send Us These 6 Details for a Tailored Plan.
This helps our engineers recommend the right configuration for your site faster.
Apartment & Condo EV Charging — Frequently Asked Questions.
Who pays for EV chargers in an apartment building?
It varies. A common approach is for the building to fund the shared cabling and load management, while each resident who wants a charger pays for their own unit and their own electricity.
Can a resident install a charger at their own bay?
In some countries and states, residents have a legal right to do so under reasonable conditions set by the building. Elsewhere it needs board or association approval.
How are residents billed for charging?
Each resident gets an RFID card or app account. The platform records every session in kWh and produces monthly totals for the management company to bill.
Will our building’s electrical supply cope?
Measure the spare capacity first. Load management lets many chargers share it and slows charging when building demand is high, which often avoids a supply upgrade.
Shared bays or assigned bays?
Assigned bays suit residents with their own parking space. Shared bays suit buildings without assigned parking and work best with booking and idle fees.
What happens when a resident moves out?
Their account is closed and a new account is opened for the next resident. A charger owned by the building stays with the bay.
Bring Smart EV Charging to Your Community.
Send us your number of units and bays, parking layout and supply rating. We will suggest a phased plan and a billing setup the board can approve.