The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Nissan is on track to deliver its projected sales of electric cars earlier than expected because, “countries are embracing fossil fuel alternatives.”
Since the launch of Nissan’s best-selling electric car, the Leaf, in 2010, the Japanese automobile manufacturer has sold more than 100,000 units of the vehicle globally.
As Australia, and indeed the world, head towards finding sustainable, environmentally-friendly ‘clean’ alternatives, there is considerable focus on electric vehicles to replace the traditional petrol model.
Statistics being quoted include 20 per cent of Australia’s new vehicle fleet is forecast to be electric by 2020. Other organisations have estimated this figure to be as high as 40 per cent.
Advocates suggest that electric cars are faster, quieter and offer a smoother ride than their gas guzzling counterparts. In addition to Nissan, Holden and Mitsubishi also have models available on the market now.
So what do green cars have to do with strata schemes?
As the momentum builds towards the transition to electric models, strata schemes will be faced with ensuring their property is EV Wired, the technical term for properties that are equipped with the infrastructure to support the charging of electric vehicles.
This raises the inevitable question – who is responsible for the installation of the charge points? Should it be the responsibility of the owner to cover the cost of the installation, as some strata members may not have switched to electric cars or should the Owners Corporation fit every private garage with an outlet given the indications that electric cars will become the norm?
As installation is a potentially expensive exercise, we urge strata scheme members to begin to consider the implications now. While this might not need to be addressed immediately, it’s certainly worth keeping in the back of your mind so that you’re prepared when the time arises.
If you have any questions regarding the EV Wiring of your property or the allocation of funds required to do so, contact your Strata Manager at Netstrata.
Related Posts
