Are new condos required to install EV chargers in Mississauga?

With more electric cars on Canadian roads and the Trudeau government promising to end the sale of gas vehicles by 2035, an increasing number of EV owners need places to charge.

The infrastructure has to be there if someone is an EV owner or wants to be, particularly at their residence, but what are the requirements for developers in terms of installing charging equipment?

INsauga.com reached out to the three levels of government to see what the requirements are surrounding the installation of EV chargers, particularly in residential buildings.

Overall, it appears that at least for the time being in Ontario, any sort of mandate is left up to municipalities.

Ford government against provincial requirements, citing higher building costs

In 2019, the Ford government removed provisions in the Ontario Building Code relating to electric vehicle charging infrastructure in houses and non-residential large buildings like workplaces.

The provisions, which didn’t apply to apartment buildings, said that 20 per cent of parking spaces for new buildings must have electric vehicle supply equipment, while the remaining spots “shall be designed” to allow for future installation of chargers.

The code also required that new homes be built to include electrical equipment to allow for the installation of a charger in the future.

The province said the removal of those provisions occurred to “help reduce red tape.”

Bianca Meta, press secretary for the office of the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, told INsauga.com that new homeowners shouldn’t have to pay upfront for mandatory EV charging equipment.

“Where the market supports it, some builders already install this infrastructure in new homes voluntarily,” Meta said.

“As we work to keep housing affordable, new homeowners should not have to pay upfront for mandatory EV charging infrastructure whether they use it or not, but instead have a choice. More expensive building costs contribute to fewer housing starts at a time when we need to do everything we can to support the building of more housing.”

Some mandates in Mississauga with more to come

The City of Mississauga, however, has its own set of rules. In fact, two separate but complimentary sets.

In 2022, a zoning bylaw was passed which included requirements for new builds or portions of new builds constructed effective June 8, 2023.

It requires that 10 per cent of parking spaces for non-residential uses, or one space, whichever is greater, be “EV ready.” An “EV ready” space means it has an energized outlet adjacent to the parking spot for the purpose of EV charging, but it doesn’t need to have the charger itself.

For residential buildings, it’s required that 20 per cent of resident parking spaces, or one spot, whichever is greater, be EV ready; 10 per cent of visitor spaces must meet the same requirement.

Stacked townhomes where residents don’t have exclusive use of a garage and/or driveway must also have 20 per cent of parking spaces, or one spot, EV ready.

Other homes with a garage are required to have one spot EV ready.

The EV ready requirements state that the outlets must be suitable for a Level 2 charger, or higher.

Level 2 chargers take an estimated four to 10 hours to charge, while Level 3 chargers take 25 to 30 minutes, according to the Canadian government website. Of the three types of EV chargers, Level 1 is the slowest, with an estimated charge time of eight to 50+ hours.

Beyond the zoning bylaw, the city also has “green development standards,” which carry with it its own requirements, none of which currently go beyond what’s mandatory through the zoning bylaw, but will in a few years.

Within those standards, the City breaks down building types into four categories: low-rise multi-unit residential, mid- and high-rise residential, institutional and commercial, and industrial.

Starting in 2028-2029, new site applications for low, medium and high-rise residential buildings in Mississauga will be required to include 25 per cent of resident parking spots with Level 2 or higher EV charging equipment, the City said.

A minimum of one visitor space will be required to have the same.

The remaining spots will need to have an outlet next to the parking space in case of the need to install an EV charger in the future.

And starting in 2030, the requirement increases to 30 per cent of parking spaces that must have EV chargers installed.

New institutional, commercial, and industrial buildings, meanwhile, will need to have 20 per cent of parking spaces EV ready starting in 2028-2029, before that’s increased to 30 per cent in 2030. There are also other ways those types of buildings can meet EV requirements, which includes installing chargers.

Both the zoning bylaw and the green development standards don’t apply to existing buildings in Mississauga.

INsauga.com asked the City how many EV chargers are currently installed in residential buildings in Mississauga, but was told it doesn’t have that information.

Natural Resources Canada seeking amendment to electrical code

Meanwhile, at the federal level, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) told INsauga.com its seeking an amendment to the Canadian Electrical Code to include provisions for branch circuits for EV charging stations for residential parking in new single-family homes and multi-unit residential buildings.

Those amendments should result in new buildings being ready for the installation of EV chargers, NRCan said.

NRCan also noted that some municipalities already require that new developments include a minimum number of EV charging stations.