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California Building Code to Require Electric-Car Charging Stations

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Leave it to California to be at the head of the green movement, yet again. Starting in 2015, California Building Code will require that any new construction must be wired for Level 2 electric-car charging stations, as the auto industry slowly builds up an army of electrified loyalists.

The updates to the California Building Code apply to new housing and to parking lots. Specifically, builders will have to include the conduit and the capacity required for EV charging stations, which is estimated to be a $50 cost. It may sound like an unnecessary fee that one should not have to pay if they don’t want to, but as electric vehicles become more prevalent, it will cost much more to go back in and add the charging stations later.

Tesla Charging Stations: California Building Code to Require Electric-Car Charging Stations

An abundance of Tesla charging stations

Houses that fit one to two families must provide a 40-amp circuit capacity service panel and a conduit that is geared to support the wiring for an 80-amp circuit. If you look at larger projects, like developments with 17 or more units, the code states that conduit and service panel capacity must be provided for at least 3% of the parking spaces.

The same goes for parking lots. Any new parking lots with more than 100 spaces must also have service panel capacity and a conduit to take care of at least 3% of the spaces.

The code has people divided. Some say that the state government (or any government) should not have any say in whether a new building provides for EV charging, while others argue that, just as building code should and does require grounded outlets, so should it be able to require for EV charging capabilities. Where do you fall?

News Source: ChargedEVs