Title
Electric Vehicle Parking - Briefing
Recommended Action
Information only. No action requested.
Report
Issue:
Whether to require electric vehicle (EV) parking standards that exceed the new building code requirements that go into effect in July.
Staff Contact:
Joyce Phillips, Principal Planner, Community Planning and Development, 360.570.3722
Presenter(s):
Joyce Phillips, Principal Planner, Community Planning and Development
Background and Analysis:
Charging and/or charging-readiness for electric vehicles (EV or EVs) will soon become a requirement for most new development and redevelopment, as part of the State building codes.
EV-ready codes establish infrastructure requirements for new buildings, such as electrical capacity, pre-wiring, and any design features that are necessary for the installation of future EV charging stations.
EV-readiness is an important strategy to future-proof new buildings. It ensures that new buildings will be able to accommodate the anticipated rapid growth of electric vehicles, without requiring expensive and complicated retrofits in the future.
Electric Vehicle (EV) Readiness
Access to convenient charging is frequently cited as one of the most important factors influencing EV purchasing decisions. However, installing the necessary infrastructure to support EV charging after a building has been constructed can often be cost prohibitive. Ensuring that buildings are designed and built with the capacity to provide future EV-charging is known as EV-readiness.
Analyses of EV-infrastructure costs consistently report that it is more cost-effective to plan for future EV parking in new construction, than it is to retrofit buildings and parking lots to accommodate EV charging in the future. EV-readiness requirements can range from providing a minimum electrical panel capacity to support future charging, to the installation of fully operational EV-charging equipment.
The 2021 Washington State Building Code identifies three...
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