ASU student aims to put EV chargers in every multifamily community

Electric vehicle ownership has accelerated in Arizona as recent federal tax incentives have made it cheaper to replace gas-powered cars.

 

EV registrations more than doubled in the state in the past two years to more than 80,000, according to the Arizona Motor Vehicle Department. And Phoenix officials predict electric vehicle ownership in the city will grow 10 times in just six years to more than 280,000.

 

Phoenix officials predict electric vehicle ownership in the city will grow 10 times by 2030. (Source: City of Phoenix https://www.phoenix.gov/electricvehicles/statistics)

 

With this rapid change, multihousing owners are looking to meet the need of renters  by installing EV chargers on their properties as the market demands and not through government mandates.

 

Although data is hard to find on how many of Arizona’s apartment, townhome and condo communities currently have EV charging stations, studies several years old suggest there are many properties that remain to benefit.

 

The academic papers found that on average EV drivers charge at home 80% of the time, but less than 5% of them do it at a multifamily dwelling.

 

Reasons property managers cite for installing chargers include:

  • Boosting property values
  • Retaining and attracting current and prospective tenants
  • Collecting revenue when chargers are metered and
  • Obtaining financial incentives from the federal government that may cover 30% or more of the installation cost for eligible properties, as well as rebates offered by some utility companies

 

ASU senior on a mission to install EV chargers for every renter

One member of the Arizona Multihousing Association who wants to ensure every community receives a charger is Arizona State University senior Max Bregman.

 

Bregman is co-founder and CEO of the startup BreatheEV, which has designed proprietary software specifically to help property managers install and manage chargers for their tenants.

 

“We allow property owners to drive up their market value by hundreds of thousands of dollars, and we make it easy for residents to get a charge when they want and need it,” Bregman told the State Press.

 

BreatheEV — a play on words for “breathe easy” — is backed by prominent tech investors and recently won $50,000 from the ASU Innovation Open, an international startup competition, among other pitch awards.

 

Bregman was named last year to the AZ Inno Under 25 list of up-and-coming tech founders. A Flinn scholar who has worked with a variety of tech and future-focused companies, he will graduate in May with a major in business data analytics and a minor in real estate.

 

The ASU Innovation Open awards student startups from around the world (photo: ASU.io)

 

 BreatheEV is working to launch new charging stations and a mobile app at locations throughout the Valley, Bregman said. 

 

“With nearly a third of the U.S. population living in multifamily properties, there is a large need for accessible charging for those who don’t own homes,” Bregman says. “We envision a world where charging an EV is as easy as booking a table at your favorite restaurant, especially for residents in multifamily dwellings.”

 

Other Arizona Multifamily Housing members working in the EV charging industry include:

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