When I moved to Houston 2 years ago, I had thoughts of purchasing an electric car however when I had my orientation with my new condo building manager it became apparent that there was no policy for installing charging stations, and no one was pushing for it, so it didn’t look like it would be a reality. Then I was at the mall and wandered into the Tesla store, was offered a test drive. It was the coolest car I’ve ever driven.
Everyone I spoke with said I was crazy for buying an electric car with no way of charging at home nor at work. Sometimes I don’t listen very well. I bought the car anyway. When I first moved to Houston, I was traveling quite regularly so my car spent more time at airport parking than being driven. That was quite convenient as a number of the off-site parking lots have charging stations (thanks Fast Park and Park N Fly). I also lucked into a great deal with EVgo for charging at HEB and Memorial City Mall. Was it a little inconvenient? At times, yes. So, I decided to push the issue with my condo.
My Path to a Charging Station
I approached my building manager and explained that I wanted to install a charging station at my parking spot. She was extremely supportive, and moved forward with forming a committee with residents and board members. Since I was the main driver behind the process, I led the committee and planned regular meetings. We worked together to find out what others had done, and what options were available to us. We also looked at a long-term plan, rather than only focusing on a single installation.
After a few months we came to agreement as to the recommendation we would make to the full Board of Trustees. We presented our findings to the Board and it was accepted at a monthly meeting with little discussion. Everyone recognized that we had done our homework. By the time we got this through, I was making due with public charging stations so did not rush to put in a charging station at home.
A couple of months ago, I started a new job and decided it was time to get a charging station installed. Since the foundation had been laid, it was an easy process. I contacted an electrician who created a one-line drawing for submission to the Board and for getting a city permit. The Board of Trustees approved the plan with no discussion, based on the policy that had previously been approved. A few weeks later, the electrician started the installation and within a week, I was charging at home!
What did I learn from the process?
I learned that policies can be changed, if you do your homework and work within the system. It is very helpful to have a supportive environment, however even if my building manager hadn’t been so willing to help, I think I still would have been successful because I had a great team to work with and I was passionate about my cause. And after all the work, my life is much better and logistically easier.
Sustainable Living 