Regulation  -  April 29, 2020

Chicago passes sweeping EV parking ordinance

Chicago’s city council passed on April 24 an innovative city ordinance that would expand the electric vehicle charging equipment in residential and commercial buildings by setting requirements for property owners for the number of private parking spaces with EV-charging capacity.

The Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment-Ready Ordinance will require a broader range of multi-unit residential and commercial properties to reserve on-site parking spaces for electric vehicles and will increase the percentage of parking spaces that applicable property owners will be required to designate for electric vehicles. Additionally, the ordinance will change the current standards in Chicago’s municipal code so that EV-designated parking spaces are actually outfitted with plug-in equipment.

The new ordinance will require that newly constructed residential buildings with at least five units will need to have at least 20% of their parking spaces dedicated to electric vehicles. Previously, the city only required that new residential buildings with at least 24 units reserve at least two parking spaces for electric vehicles.

"As the cost of EVs decline and concerns about the fallout from climate change escalate, analysts have forecasted exponential growth in EVs over the next two decades, and Chicago must be ready," 42nd Ward Ald. Brendan Reilly, chief sponsor of the measure, said in a statement.  "Readiness starts with ensuring our municipal code anticipates the need for charging resources and other assets that will optimize the performance of our transportation network and minimize costs for electricity consumers, as EVs proliferate."

The new ordinance is expected to take effect in the fall.

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