Drivers in Saint Paul could soon find it a lot easier to charge their electric vehicles before hitting the road. The city council is gearing up to consider proposed zoning code amendments that, if passed, would ramp up the requirements for electric vehicle charging infrastructure in local parking facilities. Under the hammer at a public hearing on April 3, the changes would mandate significant upgrades to the city's charging capacity, according to Saint Paul, Minnesota.
The hearing is set to take place at 3:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, allowing residents to voice their opinions on the proposal. According to a notice published on March 4 by the City of Saint Paul, "All comments concerning the proposed code amendments will be heard at this hearing." In a move reflecting the growing transition to electric vehicles, the amendments require that at least eighty percent of parking spaces in larger facilities be EV-ready, complete with conduit or raceway connections to electrical services.
For those paying attention to the details, the proposed changes don't stop there. Facilities with more than thirty spaces would have to ensure that for each batch of thirty, at least one space is wired and ready to charge at a power level of 208 Volts or higher. While the charging stations themselves could, technically, be absent, the infrastructure has to be in place. The city wants to make it crystal clear that all this hardware needs to meet the rigorous standards of the Minnesota State Building Code and National Electrical Code, and the notice available on the city's website, as per Saint Paul, Minnesota.
