Turbocharged torque that responds like lightning to your foot on the accelerator. Incomparably smooth drive-train performance. Relatively little maintenance required. There is a lot to love about electric cars beyond the obvious environmental benefits. One aspect of electric car ownership that still excites is the ability to plug your car in like the latest electronic gadget when its battery needs charging.
Having the freedom to charge your car in your apartment’s parking garage sure beats going out of your way to get gas and then having to wait in line to fill up when you arrive at the station. It might take longer to charge an electric car battery than it does to fill up a gas tank. But all you need to do is plug in a cable and go about your daily life until your car is ready to be taken out on the road again.
Electric cars are no longer viewed as agents of the future. They are a part of the present and growing more popular every day. Embracing green trends wherever possible, AMLI Residential has invested in electric car charging stations for several of its luxury apartment communities. Here’s a bit more about how electric car charging stations work in general and in AMLI’s charger-equipped parking garages.
How Electric Car Charging Works
While the distance electric cars can travel between charges is increasing at an optimistic rate, most batteries still need to be charged rather frequently. The charging process is best carried out with the assistance of an electric car charging system, or station. J1772-compliant electric car charging stations simultaneously pump electricity into a car’s battery and monitor the process to protect the battery from damage during charging. This latter function is a boon to owners because those batteries are expensive.
Where to Charge Your Electric Car
In theory, you could plug your car into any grounded outlet and pay only for the electricity consumed during that process. Since the average car battery takes upwards of 15 hours to obtain a full charge using this method, it’s far from practical. The risk that a car may sustain damage while charging in a standard wall outlet further detracts from this method’s desirability.
Additionally, apartment residents and homeowners without garages may not have easy and reliable access to an outlet to use for this purpose. This is where designated electric car charging stations can be seen as a true blessing, especially if you don’t have to fork out the money to purchase one yourself. Electric car charging stations are popping up a lot of places. You may even have access to one in your apartment’s parking garage.
At last count, AMLI had 75 electric car charging stations installed on 17 properties in eight regions in which it has a presence (Dallas, Austin, Houston, Southern California, Seattle, Atlanta, Chicago, and Denver). It’s hard to find electric car chargers at apartment communities, so here’s a list of our property’s with personal chargers for rent:
- AMLI North Point
- AMLI Old Fourth Ward
- AMLI Evanston
- AMLI River North
- AMLI Lofts
- AMLI Riverfront Park
- AMLI South Lake Union
- AMLI Lex on Orange
- AMLI on 2nd
Except for a community charging station at AMLI on 2nd in Austin, the stations are leased out to residents, assigned to parking spots in prime locations (near elevators and access points), and are configured to work only when activated by a smart card. This ensures your car charger will be waiting for you and you only every time you pull into the garage. All AMLI electric car charging stations are fully J1772 compliant, which means they are compatible with virtually every electric car manufactured within the last five years.
Making the switch to an electric car is an environmentally responsible decision that will benefit Mother Earth and future generations. AMLI Residential seeks to support those who have made the switch by offering affordable electric car charging services on site. Helping residents in their quest to Live Life + Love Life is our mission, and providing electric car charging stations is just another way we maximizes the convenience and amenities they can enjoy.
Would having a charging station in your apartment’s parking garage make you more likely to go electric the next time you enter the market for a new car? Why or why not?
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