How to install a charging station for your electric car in a community garage: everything you need to know

Another question that is often asked before deciding is whether the owners’ committee or building administrator can stop you from installing charging equipment in your parking space. The answer is no. With regard to this situation, Article 17, point 5 of Law 49/1960 on Horizontal Property states the following: “The installation of a charging point for electric vehicles for private use in one of the building’s parking spaces only requires prior notification to the community, as long as it is located in an individual parking space. The cost of the installation and the electricity consumed shall be paid entirely by the interested party or parties”.

Therefore, you only have to inform the owners’ committee and/or the administrator that you are going to install charging equipment in your parking space and be absolutely clear that you cannot use the community electricity supply.

If you are renting your car’s parking space, you too can install a charging point, but first of all you must ask the owner of the space for permission. We recommend that you obtain written and signed authorisation from the owner, to avoid problems later on. This authorisation can also be attached to the notification of the installation we mentioned previously.

Benefits of buying an electric car

Electric vehicles (EVs) offer many advantages. So, it’s essential to know them in order to choose the model that best suits each driver’s needs.

The electric car market is growing rapidly thanks to these multiple benefits. If you’ve ever considered buying this type of vehicle, here are some facts that will help you decide whether it’s the right option for you:

Savings with an EV

While the purchase price is higher than that of internal combustion cars, there are state-level subsidies as well as additional regional incentives that make the switch easier for future buyers. In fact, sales of electric and hybrid vehicles in Spain grew by 94.9% in the first five months of 2017 compared to the same period the previous year.

Beyond purchase incentives, there are significant fuel savings —between €700 and €1,200 for every 15,000 km driven. Additionally, in cities like Madrid and Barcelona, electric car owners enjoy special perks such as free parking in both green and blue zones.

Efficiency

Another key advantage is their energy efficiency, which is double that of combustion cars. Furthermore, you also save considerably on vehicle maintenance since you don’t need to worry about mechanical transmissions, oil, or lubricants.

Zero emissions

EVs also benefit our cities by avoiding CO₂ emissions and keeping our streets cleaner, countering the pollution caused by combustion vehicles.

Electric car range

When it comes to driving range, electric cars still lag behind traditional ones, but this gap has been shrinking in recent years. Many new electric vehicles can now reach up to 400 km on a single battery charge.

Technical requirements for installing a charging station

Once we’ve covered the technical details to consider when purchasing, it’s also important to understand what’s involved in installing an electric car charging point in your building’s community garage.

To install electric charging equipment, there must be a 230/400 VAC supply point with an earth connection, a general control and safety panel, and measuring equipment. The most common procedure is to make a connection from your meter (assuming it is in a specific room on the ground floor) because there is less distance to the parking space than from the general control and safety panel, which is located in the entrance to the building. In any case, as each installation is different, the installer must decide which is the easiest and cheapest option.

If you do not have an electricity supply point because your parking space is not in the same community as your home, you must request a new one from the electricity distribution company. Each distribution company defines the protocol to follow.

Once you have submitted the request, the distributor will send you the quote. It is not usually necessary to carry out major works to prepare the electricity grid, so you only need to pay the costs of the new connection. Sometimes, however, the distributor will have to carry out additional work, so they will include this in the quote they send you and you can decide whether to proceed or not.

If you obtained your parking space through a concession

If your parking space is the object of a concession, and the grantor has established a specific protocol, you must follow the rules of this protocol. For example, this is the case of residents of Madrid whose parking spaces are a municipal concession.

However, if the grantor has not established a specific protocol, it is sufficient to notify the grantor as stated in Article 17, point 5 of Law 49/1960 on Horizontal Property.

Does this type of installation require an electrical design project?

According to the Low Voltage Electrotechnical Regulation, the installation of charging equipment in a parking space connected to the home supply point only requires the preparation of a Design Project in the following cases:

• If the garage requires mechanical ventilation:
• If the home's contracted power changes by more than 50%. Normally, there is no need to increase the contracted power because vehicles usually charge at night, when domestic demand is much lower. If an increase is necessary, it does not normally reach this limit.

If neither of the cases above apply, the installation only requires the installer to prepare a Technical Design Report. If you sign up with Endesa X Way and request the certification of your installation, the installer will prepare this Report or Project along with the rest of the technical documentation required by the Ministry of Industry to obtain the Electrical Installation Certificate.

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