The Strata EV Problem — And Why It's Urgent
Here's the reality facing every strata manager in NSW: the Electric Vehicle Council's 2026 report projects that 50% of new car sales will be electric by 2030. In a 100-unit building, that means 50+ residents will need charging within four years.
Buildings that aren't prepared face three compounding problems:
- Ad-hoc installations — Individual owners hiring their own electricians, creating safety risks and overloading circuits
- Declining property values — Buyers increasingly filter for "EV-ready" buildings on real estate platforms
- Expensive retrofits — Installing infrastructure reactively costs 2–3× more than a planned rollout
"The single most expensive mistake we see in strata is waiting. A building that installs shared cable trays and a distribution board today spends $1,500 per space. The same building doing it in 2029, after 15 individual owners have run cables through fire compartments, spends $4,000+ per space to remediate and standardise." — Daniel Harris, Licensed Electrical Engineer, Cable Co
What "EV-Ready" Actually Means for Strata
The NSW Government's EV Ready Buildings program defines three levels of readiness:
| Level | Definition | What's Installed | Cost Per Space |
|---|---|---|---|
| EV-Capable | Electrical capacity reserved, pathway identified | Conduit/cable tray only | $500–$1,000 |
| EV-Ready | Wiring to parking space, circuit protection installed | Cable, DB, metering | $2,000–$3,500 |
| EV-Installed | Charger connected and operational | Full charger + infrastructure | $3,500–$6,000 |
For most strata buildings, the optimal strategy is to install EV-Ready infrastructure for all spaces (or a percentage), then allow individual owners to add chargers as needed. This approach:
- Shares the major infrastructure cost across all owners (via special levy or sinking fund)
- Prevents ad-hoc installations that create safety hazards
- Qualifies for NSW government grants
- Maximises property value uplift for all units
The Load Management Solution: 20 Chargers on Existing Supply
The biggest fear strata committees have is: "We'll need a $200,000 supply upgrade from Ausgrid." In most cases, this isn't true.
A Load Management System (LMS) dynamically distributes available electrical capacity across all connected chargers. When the building's base load is high (evening cooking, air conditioning), chargers reduce power. When load drops (overnight), chargers ramp up.
How LMS Changes the Economics
| Approach | Chargers Supported | Supply Upgrade Needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| No LMS (dedicated circuits) | 3–5 | Usually yes ($50k–$200k) | $15,000–$25,000 per charger |
| With LMS (shared capacity) | 15–30 | Usually no | $3,000–$5,000 per charger |
Cable Co installs Origin Energy's Load Management System as part of our Origin Preferred Commercial Partner program. The system supports up to 40 chargers per building on a single LMS controller.
NSW Grants for Strata EV Charging
Kick-start Funding (For Strata Corporate Vehicles)
If your strata corporation operates vehicles (building management, caretaker vehicles), you can claim:
- $5,000 per BEV purchased
- Up to $3,000 per AC charging port installed
EV Ready Buildings Program
The NSW Government's EV Ready Buildings program provides guidance and support for strata buildings planning EV infrastructure. Check the program page for current funding rounds.
Destination Charging Grants (For Visitor/Shared Chargers)
If your building installs publicly accessible chargers (visitor parking, shared resident chargers), you may qualify for the Destination Charging Grant — up to 75% of installation costs.
Step-by-Step: Making Your Building EV-Ready
Step 1: Electrical Capacity Assessment
Before anything else, you need to know what your building's electrical supply can handle. Cable Co performs a detailed assessment including:
- Main switchboard capacity and spare ways
- Existing load profile (24-hour monitoring)
- Available capacity for EV charging (kW headroom)
- Cable pathway options to car park
- Fire compartment and compliance considerations
Use our Strata Compliance Cost Calculator for an instant estimate of your building's assessment and infrastructure costs.
Step 2: Design the Shared Infrastructure
Based on the assessment, we design a shared infrastructure solution:
- Distribution board in car park (dedicated EV circuits)
- Cable trays running to parking bays (shared pathway)
- Sub-metering for individual billing (each owner pays for their own electricity)
- Load management system to prevent overload
- Future-proofing — capacity for 100% of spaces over time
Step 3: Strata Resolution and Funding
EV charging infrastructure typically requires a special resolution (75% vote) at a general meeting. We provide:
- Technical report for the strata committee
- Cost breakdown and funding options (special levy vs sinking fund vs owner-pays)
- Comparison of approaches (shared infrastructure vs individual installations)
- Grant application support
Step 4: Installation and Commissioning
Cable Co handles the complete installation:
- Licensed electricians (NSW Fair Trading)
- ASP accredited (for any supply upgrade work)
- Ausgrid/Endeavour approved
- Fire safety compliance (AS/NZS 3000)
- Commissioning and testing of all circuits
- LMS configuration and monitoring setup
Step 5: Ongoing Management
Post-installation, we provide:
- Charger monitoring and fault alerts
- Preventive maintenance program
- Billing system management (per-owner metering)
- Expansion support as more owners add chargers
What It Actually Costs: Real Strata Projects
| Building Size | Spaces Made EV-Ready | Infrastructure Cost | Per-Space Cost | Grant Offset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 units | 10 spaces | $35,000 | $3,500 | $15,000–$30,000 |
| 50 units | 25 spaces | $75,000 | $3,000 | $37,500–$75,000 |
| 100 units | 50 spaces | $130,000 | $2,600 | $75,000–$150,000 |
| 200 units | 100 spaces | $220,000 | $2,200 | $150,000–$300,000 |
With grants, the net cost to the strata corporation can be as low as $500–$1,500 per space — easily funded through the capital works fund over 2–3 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a strata building need a special resolution for EV charging?
In most cases, yes. Installing shared EV infrastructure in common property requires a special resolution (75% of votes at a general meeting) under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW). Individual lot owners installing chargers in their own lot may only need committee approval, depending on the by-laws.
Can individual owners install their own chargers without building-wide infrastructure?
Technically yes, but it's strongly discouraged. Individual installations often create safety hazards (cables across fire compartments), overload existing circuits, and cost 2–3× more per owner than a shared infrastructure approach. Most strata committees now require a building-wide plan before approving individual installations.
How does billing work when multiple owners share infrastructure?
Each charging point is individually sub-metered. Owners pay for their own electricity consumption, typically billed monthly through the strata management system or a third-party billing platform. The shared infrastructure cost (cable trays, distribution boards, LMS) is funded through the capital works fund or a special levy.
Will EV charging increase my building's insurance premiums?
Not if installed correctly by a licensed electrician to Australian Standards (AS/NZS 3000). Cable Co provides compliance certificates for all installations. Some insurers offer discounts for buildings with professionally installed, monitored charging systems.
How long does a strata EV infrastructure project take?
Typical timeline: 2–4 weeks for assessment and design, 4–6 weeks for strata approval process, 2–4 weeks for installation. Total: 2–3 months from initial enquiry to operational chargers.