Living in an apartment complex and owning an electric car can be a little tricky. While some complexes are updating their parking to have electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, it’s not as common as one would hope.

With range anxiety being a real thing for people who own electric vehicles, where can you charge your EV if not at your apartment? We found an article that will help your brainstorm places you can charge your EV if your apartment complex doesn’t have a station. Live in Chico, California? We've also listed all the public places you can charge your EV at the end.

Can You Charge an Electric Vehicle if You Live In an Apartment?

Posted by MotorBiscuit
Written by Joe Santos

If your apartment doesn’t have an outlet, charge your EV at work

If you currently live in an apartment complex and don’t have access to a standard electric outlet, then there are other EV charging options as well. For example, if your place of work has a charging station, which is typically a Level 2 charger, then you can charge your EV fully while you’re working an eight-hour workday. However, if you only have access to a Level 1 outlet at work, then you’ll be able to add around 30 miles of range during your work period.

There are other EV charging options as well

But let’s say you don’t have access to a charger at home or at work, then you can always take advantage of the thousands of charging stations that are available to the public. Many of those chargers are Level 2 chargers, but others are fast-charging stations – referred to as Level 3 chargers – that can add 50 to 150 miles of range in around 30 minutes. And if you own a Tesla, then you can also use one of the many Tesla Supercharger stations.

One thing to note is that while many of these public charging stations are free, some of them do charge you to charge. Your best bet is to download an app called “PlugShare” in order to find free or cheap charging stations around your home or work.

If you can’t charge your EV at home, plan ahead

Lastly, whether you’re able to charge your EV in your apartment complex and workplace or not, it’s important to plan ahead in order to get the most range out of your EV. While you might not be able to wake up to a fully charged battery every morning, you can at least figure out your car’s range, your typical commuting distance, and public charging stations in order to get you to where you need to go without any range anxiety.

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Charge Your EV in Chico, California

If your Chico apartment doesn’t have EV charging or your work is not EV friendly then here is list of places in Chico that are good for public charging.

• Chico State Parking Structure #2
  • 5 J-1772 Stations
  • Free for charging and parking on the weekends. Top floor has 5 stations, parking is $1 an hour during enforcement hours.
• Farmers Market Parking Lot
  • 2 Tesla Stations
  • 2 J-1772 Stations
  • 8am – 6pm, except for weekends and holidays, parking is $0.50 an hour
• City of Chico Municipal Center
  • 6 J-1772 Stations
  • Eligible to park from 5pm – 8am
• Chico Volkswagen
  • 1 J-1772 Station
  • $1 an hour for the first 4hrs; after it’s $5 an hour
• Sun Valley Acoustical
  • 1 NEMA 14-50 Station
  • Free indoor parking Monday through Friday 8am to 4pm
• Butte County Association of Governments
  • 4 J-1772 Stations
  • Free parking
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
  • 2 Tesla Stations
  • 1 CCS/SAE Station
  • 1 J-1772 Station
  • Free parking when restaurant open
• Holiday Inn Express Chico
  • 1 J-1772 Station
  • $0.75 an hour
• Chico Supercharger
  • 14 Supercharger Stations
  • Payment is required
• Target
  • 2 J-1772 Stations
  • First 2 hours are free, then it’s $2 an hour
• Butte College Chico Center
  • 1 J-1772 Station
• Butte College Skyway Center
  • 1 J-1772 Station

Looking for an apartment complex that has access to EV charging stations? Our 1661 Forest Avenue Apartments has EV charging stations! Check today to see their availability.