Why Many Apartment Renters Won't Buy Electric Cars

Electric cars are gaining in popularity, but that doesn't mean everyone is rushing out to get one. There's a lot that goes into making an electric car purchase, and while saving on gas seems like a good thing, there's more to it than that. All things considered, electric cars are relatively still in infancy, and there are still a lot of advances that have to be made in order for people to fully adopt them.

There's actually a big drawback to purchasing one if you're somebody renting an apartment/property. Since you won't be using gas in your car, you'll be plugging in to charge. If your apartment complex doesn't have an EV charging station in the parking lot — which is not exactly a common inclusion by landlords — then it's going to be tough being an electric car owner. There are ways to get around this, but it's so much of a hassle, that many renters would rather not deal with it.

If you don't have access to a charging station, you can opt to charge at an office building near you. A prime example would be your workplace, but that's not going to be an option for everyone. Running an appropriate extension cord from your apartment is an option, but it's not the most permanent or even practical fix. There's no telling if your current living space even has enough voltage to supply a charge to a car all the time.

Jeff Allen, executive director of Forth, a nonprofit electric vehicle advocacy group, is aware of the problem apartment renters face. It's not an issue that's going to be fixed overnight, but an effort is being made. "We have a really large challenge right now with making it easy for people to charge who live in apartments," he told the Associated Press.

As it stands, an electric car while living in an apartment is a tough sell. Installing an EV station at home can cost over $1,000, but apartment renters likely won't have that as an option. It's even tougher if you're renting in a rural area, because you're likely not going to find any stations nearby. Charging stations are becoming more common along highways, so the fear of running out of juice on a road trip is eventually going to be a thing of the past. At home, though, charging becomes more difficult.