California is contemplating espousing building codes that would require all new residential buildings be EV capable as part of the state’s ongoing efforts to increase electric vehicle use.
Builders won’t be required to install the actual charging stations, but the new codes would require running high-voltage wires through a wire conduit to the garage and appropriately upgrading the service panel. The updates to homes would make it significantly easier and less expensive for homeowners to install the charging stations. This comes just after a handful of other EV-friendly laws passed–all designed to get 1.5 million plug-in vehicles on California’s roads come 2025.
Currently, the cost to retrofit a home in order to install a charging station is in the thousands while the cost of installing the necessary wiring during construction is roughly just $50. The updated building codes are expected to take effect in 2015.