Evs in Strata: Charging Challenges Report Summary

In response to the rapidly increasing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia, SCA identified a critical need to investigate the significant, and unique challenges that are faced when attempting to integrate EVs into strata.

As the peak industry body for Body Corporate and Community Title Management in Australia and New Zealand, SCA sought to proactively initiate a process to fill the broad information gap that currently exists in this space.

As such, SCA’s first initiative was the implementation of SEVIT (SCA’s Strata Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Taskforce), a first of its kind taskforce made up of member strata managers, energy consultants and EV experts to address all strata EV related matters.

Secondly, SCA initiated the production of a two-phase report series, aimed at providing critical information as to the current proliferation of support for EV integration into strata, and the breadth of the associated challenges.

Strata Community Association’s (SCA) Electric Vehicles in Strata Phase 1: State of Play report was first created to highlight the current level of governmental support for the integration of electric vehicles into strata across Australia’s jurisdictions. A first-of-its-kind report, its purpose was to act as a baseline layout of the state of recognition and support for the integration of EVs into strata, ranking each state and territory government’s progress on EVs specific to strata complexes, such as apartments and townhouses.

Following the success of the release of SCA’s Phase 1 report, we now look ahead to the release of Strata Community Association’s Electric Vehicles in Strata Phase 2: Challenges Report.

The Phase 2 Challenges Report is an investigation into the specific issues that the mass integration of EVs in strata will create, featuring comprehensive analysis of a wide variety of issue areas. To create this report, SCA utilised our member base and prior relationships formed, consolidating the knowledge of experts in this space to produce a robust, reliable source of information.

Topic Areas

The integration of electric vehicles into strata is a complex undertaking, and an area of policy that has been largely under investigated. As such, SCA has undergone a series of consultative processes, addressing a large scope of topic areas within the report. They include (but are not limited to):

Costs: One of the most fundamental challenges relating to the integration of EVs into strata, is the costs associated with the retrofitting of electrical infrastructure into existing buildings to support the additional load. The installation of said infrastructure can be extremely cost prohibitive, and a significant barrier to entry for those seeking to charge their vehicles within their strata building.

Cost Structures: When making policy decisions that impact strata schemes, one has to take into account the methods by which Strata Communities make decisions. Strata Communities operate in a democratised system, where each member of the committee may vote on a given issue. This notably includes the utilisation of strata community capital to fund EV charging.

Equity Issues: One of the largest barriers to overcome in the implementation of EV charging into strata (and by extension the vehicles themselves) is that in the short to medium term, those who currently do not own an EV, or plan to own an EV in the time that they are planning on residing in their current scheme, are far less likely to agree to the installation of EV infrastructure.

Physical Issues: The installation of EV backbone infrastructure can be physically very difficult, and a lengthy process for strata communities, particularly those that reside in older buildings. There is a critical need to ensure that infrastructure (cabling, metering etc.) is compliant with fire and rescue, sprinkler systems, switchboard upgrades etc.

Fire Safety: Electric vehicles are powered by lithium-ion batteries, a common type of rechargeable battery that stores and distributes energy. Due to their composition, lithium-ion batteries have different fire safety considerations than that of conventional automobiles, that must be taken into account, specifically in the context of a strata environment.

There are several additional factors that contribute to the risks associated with EV fires when compared to conventional automobile fire incidents. This notably includes thermal Runaway, directional flame explosion, the release of toxic chemicals and the failure of conventional fire suppression practices. However, evidence suggests that electric vehicles are not necessarily more likely than conventional vehicles to be involved in a fire incident.

Insurance: The market for electric vehicles is still in its infancy in Australia and NZ. Due to the risk factors associated with the integration of electric vehicles into strata schemes, the potential for strata insurance premiums to readjust in the future is likely, as EVs continue to emerge and gain popularity.

Risk factors that insurers may identify as contributing factors to shifts in strata insurance premiums could include, fire, electrical shock, theft, business interruption and personal injury.

Recommendations

Throughout the report, SCA makes a multitude of recommendations to government, as to the processes that may be undertaken to better support the safe and comprehensive integration of EV infrastructure into strata.

Largely, SCA’s recommendations focus on the key areas of:

• Financial Support: The introduction of subsidies that support the retrofitting of backbone electrical infrastructure in existing strata buildings, offsetting the prohibitive costs for residents.

• Upskilling: Investment in the further education and upskilling of Australia’s electrical technicians, fire safety experts, builders etc. to ensure strata buildings, when being built or retrofitted, adequately meet required safety standards.

• Analysis: Further government consultation and analysis into the significant challenges that face strata residents in this space, including coordinated cooperation between all levels of government to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.

Resources

Here you can follow links to the resources below, which will provide you with essential information to further develop your understanding of electric vehicles and strata:

• SCA’s Electric Vehicles in Strata – Phase 1 State of Play Report

• State of Electric Vehicles – Electric Vehicle Council

• Making your residential strata building EV ready

• EV Charging at Apartments – Strata Managers Guide

• Fire Extinguisher Online – Electric Vehicle Fire Safety Explained

To get ahead of what will no doubt be an increasingly important topic in strata, SCA is on the front foot, and will utilise these reports to raise government, stakeholder, strata and general public awareness, proposing solutions that will benefit the sector, and strata communities as a whole.

SCA is the first organisation to specifically investigate the current support for strata, and outline the multitude of issues that strata faces as a result of EV integration. SCA has already advocated hard for support for EVs in strata, having it be one of the core priorities in our federal and state election campaigns.

Keep an eye out for its coming release across all SCA platforms including our website, member email updates and socials.