INSIDE
By Stephen Metzger
Managing Director
Small Vehicle Resource, LLC
[email protected]
www.smallvehicleresource.com
THE GATED
COMMUNITY
Trends That Will Affect Your
Driving Habits
The past several months I have been focusing
on emerging products and services that may
be introduced in your gated or planned com-
munity, to include new types of vehicles and
charging systems. This article brings together
these trends in something of a vision of what
lies ahead. In addition, there are interesting
infrastructure developments that could well
affect not only running your electric-powered
golf car, but your air-conditioner as well. EV Charge Sponsor projects, PG&E will own, install and main-
tain the charging station, and customers will pay a participa-
tion fee.
EVBox scores big in California One thing of critical importance to note is that while Califor-
nia’s major utilities are participating in a state-wide legislative
program to provide a charging infrastructure to support 5
million zero emissions vehicles by 2030, it does not take a
huge, State-planned system with its various regulatory levels
and segments to bring Level 2 charging to your community.
If you have been reading my column, you may
recall that EVBox, a company based in the
Netherlands, is a supplier of Level 2 charging
systems, both for public, or distributed access,
and individual, residential units. The former is
installed as part of their BusinessLine system
and the latter, their Elvi unit. BusinessLin e
installations connect directly to the grid, while
the Elvi connects to your home circuit panel.
In May of this year, Pacific Gas & Electric Com-
pany, serving principally northern and central
California, contracted with EVBox to install 2,560
charging systems in their service area. PG&E
dubbed their program, the EV Charge Network,
and it is aimed at workplaces and multi-unit
dwellings. Through the program, PG&E will pay
for and build the infrastructure for customers
from the electric grid to the charger.
Customers have two options: they can be an
EV Charge Owner or an EV Charge Sponsor.
For EV Charge Owner projects, customers will
own, install and maintain the charging station
and receive a rebate for part of the cost. For
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WWW.GOLFCAROPTIONS.COM
The State’s other large investor-owned utilities, San Diego Gas
& Electric (SDG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE), also
have partnership programs to install EV infrastructure.
Charging systems are scalable and can diversify your per-
sonal transportation system
EVBox and other companies have the capacity, as previously
noted, to install Level 2 systems on a community-wide or indi-
vidual residence basis. Thus, if the supervisory board of your
gated or planned community wishes, it could invest in a sys-
tem which collectively serves residents. Alternatively, individ-
ual homeowners could install their own systems. Naturally, a
key consideration is cost, and another is convenience. Public
access systems probably work better in multi-unit residenc-
es and communities that are fully integrated with respect to
shopping, recreation, and other amenities.
Another important aspect of Level 2 charging is its abili-
ty to charge not only your roundabout golf car, but your
out-of-community, that is, your on-road electric vehicle, as
well. The majority of gated community residents have two
vehicles, the golf car and a conventional vehicle. With the
plethora of new electric, on-road models coming on the mar-
ket and more robust charging systems coming to the fore,
the prospect of a one-stop “fill-up” for both vehicles, as well
as opportunity charging for both in public access locations, a