Apartment Operator Finds Reliable EV Charging Stations: No Wi-Fi Required

When The Bottling Plant Apartments opened in March 2020 in Frederick, Md., it had two residents with electric vehicles living at the 86-unit community. Since then, the number has jumped to 12.

K. David Meit, CPM®, Principal of Oculus Realty, AMO®, sensed coming out of the pandemic, the demand for EVs would increase, particularly among higher-income earners living in luxury apartments.

Meit planned to add a pair of EV charging stations at The Bottling Plant and reached out to one of the leading national providers. He quickly realized that this company, which gave off an “arrogant” vibe and provided subpar customer service was not going to work.

So, he quickly pulled the plug on them and began researching three other providers.

In Xeal Energy, He found its proprietary technology he felt was uniquely better. Xeal Energy’s charging platform leverages its patent-pending Apollo protocol, which uses encrypted tokens and distributed ledger technology for connectivity, eliminating the need for costly IT/network infrastructure and upgrades entirely, reducing capex and maximizing ROI.

The app-based product runs on token technology instead of relying on the community’s Wi-Fi system, which at times can be inconsistent with an application such as EV charging. This can be due to several factors, including bandwidth, usage, and the central hub volume.

Xeal Energy’s holistic technology also empowers owner/operators to install up to 3x as many charging stations without electrical upgrades and without installing costly IT infrastructure.

“Because we can run the electricity lines through our property’s infrastructure, it only took a half-day to install them,” Meit said. He’s also looking to install four charging stations at a 111-unit apartment community in Chevy Chase, Md.

Providing Uptime and Independence

Because Xeal’s technology is not reliant on a Wi-Fi or cellular connection, it’s guaranteed to provide 99% up time. Residents fully operate the station via an app, which allows for scheduling charging times and direct payment from a credit card. Meit and his property are free from handling the payment process.

Xeal monitors and services its stations remotely, and often can make necessary fixes remotely.

From the system’s dashboard, Meit can access in real-time its use by time of day and by resident. Through a 60-percent revenue share with Xeal, he can track ancillary income, though he said dollars earned are minimal.

“I didn’t install it to be a money-maker,” Meit said. “The revenue is enough to pay for the energy it needs while also providing a great and popular amenity that we can promote in our marketing.”

Costs and Rebates

Installation for the two stations at the apartment community cost $12,188 total. The property earned a $4,320 rebate from the state of Maryland for the two chargers.

Last quarter, he earned $300 in ancillary income. He is looking to add two more stations at The Bottling Plant and will install four at a 60-year-old shopping center property he owns in Kensington, Md. Installing charging stations in older properties may take longer due to electrical needs at the property, Meit said.

“There’s a Chipotle and a Five Guys restaurant in the shopping center and this is a chance to attract customers who are charging their EVs while they are there to eat or shop,” Meit said.

Meit said the time to give an EV a full charge varies widely based on the type of car and the type of battery it uses. For a Leaf or Volt model, he said it can take about six to eight hours. For a Tesla, it can be about three hours.

Charge Rates and Kwh

Cost also varies, but Meit said they range from a few dollars to over $30 per session averaging $6.71 per charge, based on 86 charges being performed over a recent three-month period. He said Xeal allows Meit to determine the charge rate, which is currently $.4545 per Kwh.

He said many of his apartment residents work from home, so they can find convenient times to charge their cars while at home.

As of 2022, Xeal’s stations are in every major market spanning 40 states and will be growing by nearly 500% over the next year, the company said.