The Future of Electric Vehicles and EV Chargers3 min read

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For 60 years, Reliance Home Comfort has provided Canadians with reliable heating, cooling & hot water products 24/7, 365 days of the year. Welcome to our Builder blog, where we provide commercial and residential property builders with the industry news and inspiration needed for your next innovative build.

Over the next 10 years, many Canadians will likely purchase an electric vehicle. Why? Because the government of Canada has set a target for all new vehicle sales to be electric by 2035. Fast forward 13 years and you will likely have one parked in your garage.

Owning an electric vehicle (EV) makes a lot of sense right now, given the state of the environment. Homeowners are constantly looking for ways to live more sustainably, and electric vehicles are a great way to do that.

Since electric vehicles are here to stay, here’s some helpful information about EV chargers before you plug in.

What are EV Chargers?

An EV charger is a piece of equipment that supplies electrical power for charging plug-in electric vehicles. One of the perks of having an electric vehicle is that you can charge it right from home—no trip to the gas station required.

There are three categories of electric chargers: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. Reliance™carries Level 2.

Types of electric chargers:

Connected

• Track your data usage, access a charging schedule, and experience real-time charging with the app

Not Connected

• No remote configuration and operation, automatic firmware updates, power sharing, real-time support and monitoring or Demand Response Ready

What is happening with the EV Charger market?

The demand for EV chargers is growing quickly due to the rise in electric cars. We are in the “biggest revolution in motoring since Henry Ford’s first production line started turning back in 1913.” Soon, we’ll see more electric vehicles on the road than gas and diesel cars.

Individuals who are currently living in homes that are 1 million dollars or higher in value indicate a strong preference for electrical vehicle chargers, with 35.7 percent of those respondents considering it a “must have” feature. Consumers are already making the switch—sales of electric cars doubled in 2021 to a new record of 6.6 million globally, with more now sold each week than all of 2012.

As the demand for electric cars grows rapidly, so is the demand for EV chargers. Consequently, the electric vehicle charging station market will reach $120.6 billion globally by 2028. For reference, 2021 was valued at 18.1 billion globally.

One reason for the popularity of electric vehicles is the environmental benefits they bring. Electric vehicles cut greenhouse gas emissions compared to gas vehicles, helping slow climate change.

This sharp spike in EV sales has presented one problem: a lack of charging stations. There is only around one charging station for every 30 EVs in North America. As a result, a survey by SkyQuest Technologies said that 71% of EV owners are nervous about running out of charge before reaching their destination.

Legal requirements for EV chargers

All chargers must be certified for use in Canada by a nationally recognized certification agency (which our chargers are).

Check with your local government for the legal requirements in your area. They also offer rebates—look here for a list.

The Reliance Difference

Get ahead of the market with pre-installed electric vehicle chargers in your new homes. Our unique rental offering provides added building amenities without the upfront costs. Bundle your EV charger with other mechanical equipment from Reliance to simplify equipment sourcing.

Reliance rentals cover the repair or replacement cost of the charger, including labour.

Interested in providing innovative, efficient and complete home comfort solutions for home buyers? Contact us today!

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