Electric Vehicle Charging Access for Renters and Multi-unit Dwelling Residents

Project overview

The electrification of transport is no longer a question of if nor when, as Victoria aims for 50% of light vehicles to be zero-emission vehicles by 2030 and Australia targets zero emissions by 2050¹. A key barrier to enabling accelerated light electric vehicle (EV) adoption and everyday operation is the disproportionate access to EV charging, particularly in residential settings.

Residential EV charging stations are preferred because of their convenience, low charging costs, and ease of overnight charging². However, home charging options (and specific policies) for residents of multi-unit dwellings (MUDs) and renters are still scarce. Consequently, these individuals are in a potentially vulnerable position, as they would need to rely exclusively on enroute or destination charging facilities, which may be less cost-effective and pose significant restrictions to their daily schedules and choice of destinations.

This project delves into addressing the EV charging access challenges faced by renters and MUD residents. We draw on the social justice framework of the capabilities approach and position EV charging at the intersection of transport and energy fields for a multidisciplinary perspective in the design of residential charging solutions for MUDs and rentals.

This project is funded by the University of Melbourne’s ABP-FEIT Research Collaboration Grant and approved by the University of Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee (Ethics ID 2023-28096-47638-3).

¹Australian Government (2023). National Electric Vehicle Strategy.

²Lavieri, P. S. & Bas Domenech, C. (2021). Electric Vehicle Uptake and Charging. The University of Melbourne Technical Report, Melbourne, Australia.

Project team

Dr. Patricia Sauri Lavieri (team lead) is a Senior Lecturer in Transport Engineering in the Department of Infrastructure Engineering, FEIT, and a Melbourne Energy Institute research fellow. Dr. Lavieri is leading the project conceptualisation and management.

A/Prof Iderlina Mateo-Babiano is an Associate Professor in Urban Planning and Assistant Dean of Diversity and Inclusion at the Melbourne School of Design, ABP.

Isrrah Malabanan is a PhD student at FEIT, who is investigating human-centred approaches to improve social justice in electric vehicle charging.