As electric vehicles gain popularity, more homeowners and real-estate developers are adding this relatively low-cost amenity
Eric Brassard charges his new BMW i3 electric car in his garage (Image:: J. Schmelzer/WSJ)
Self-described “car guy” Eric Brassard recently paid $846,000 for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom home in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles. One big draw: It was wired to allow a charging station for vehicles.
The 29-year-old TV-development executive didn’t even own an electric car. But after his move in April, he leased a BMW i3—then bought a charging station for it on Amazon for less than $500.
“There’s something about it that has a total cool factor to me,” he said of his car.
Several of his neighbors have electric cars in their driveways, he added.
When Arjan Dijk built his home in 2014, he felt he should make it “as good as it gets for the environment.” Now under contract and last listed for $3.75 million, the San Francisco three-bedroom with a one-bedroom cottage has many green features: solar panels, low-energy appliances, a high-efficiency boiler. There is also a charging station in the garage where the 45-year-old technology executive can juice up a car.
The two homeowners are among a growing number of home buyers and developers installing charging equipment at home. It is a relatively low-cost amenity that appeals to tech lovers, committed greens and car aficionados. New condominium developments across the U.S. also are including them.
“I would not build a residential project today without providing for a charger for electric vehicles,”
said Aldo Pascarella, 48, a real-estate lawyer who developed a townhouse in Greenwich, Conn., with a charging station in 2012.
Read more: Wall Street Journal