How hard is it to get EV charging stations into residential buildings?

When Mathieu Gosbee moved from his detached home in midtown Toronto to a condominium downtown, he was able to bring all his belongings but one: the device that charges his electric car.

The 38-year-old software developer purchased his Hyundai Kona electric vehicle (EV) two years ago, and personally installed a Level 2 charger in the garage of his house for about $400.

The condo board said a single charger would cost $5,000 to $10,000 to install, which seems quite expensive to Gosbee — but he and other EV owners in his building are desperate. 

"I want to have the convenience of charging at home — it's part of the reason I bought my car in the first place," he said.

If approved, it's still going to take another year for the charger to be installed at the condo. In the meantime, Gosbee has to rely on public charging stations so he can pick up his daughter from school and get around the city.

But there aren't that many public stations around his condo — and when he does find one, it's often occupied by another EV owner, if it isn't broken.

"I'm just really feeling the pressure of charging now," he said.

The sentiment was echoed in a recent CBC News First Person column, in which Akiko Hara wrote about her struggles charging her EV in Vancouver.

EV owners like Gosbee and Hara are sometimes called "garage orphans," because they don't have driveways, designated parking spots or easy access to private charging options.

But experts say there are ways to address this issue.

"It's absolutely possible to get charging infrastructure caught up, but it requires some effort," said Ian Klesmer, a spokesperson for the Atmospheric Fund, which finances initiatives to reduce carbon emissions and other pollution.

The popularity of EVs is growing in Canada. According to Statistics Canada, 86,032 electric vehicles are currently on the road, and new zero-emission vehicle registrations increased by 43.2 per cent year over year in the third quarter of 2022.

But charging infrastructure lags behind and tends to be concentrated in newer buildings and wealthier areas.

In general, countries "need to build the infrastructure, like more charging stations … before people start gaining more access to those cars," said Avipsa Roy, an assistant professor at University of California, Irvine, who analyzes the accessibility of EV chargers.