New family dwellings in Richmond Heights will be EV ready

A municipality in St. Louis County has taken steps to accommodate the growing interest in electric vehicles. Richmond Heights, MO, unanimously passed two ordinances — which are now in effect — requiring single-family and multi-family construction to be EV-ready.

“It adds to our city. This is keeping us up with the energy-conscious movement,” said Jim Thomson, mayor of Richmond Heights. “This just means that those who have electric vehicles won’t have to go out of their way to add a charger in their home.”

City Councilman Maurice Muia, who took the lead on advocating for the ordinances, explained that it is significantly more cost efficient to set up a family dwelling for EV charging during construction than after the home is already built. For example, it might cost roughly $300 to install a charger in a home that is EV-ready whereas it might cost $3,000 to install it in a home not built with the capability. The ordinances only apply to new construction of single-family and multi-family homes. They are the first to go into effect in the state.

Maurice Muia
City Councilman
Richmond Heights, MO

“I’m glad we are doing this in Richmond Heights. This is ‘progress with tradition,’” said Muia. “It benefits residents and it benefits businesses. If I’m considering buying an electric vehicle and I’m buying a home, I’m going to look for one that is EV-ready. A contractor could advertise a home as EV-ready."

“Convenient access to EV charging is one of the most critical factors in people’s decisions to purchase an electric vehicle,” said Marco Tipton, community development executive with Ameren Missouri. “Parking garages and lots last for decades and investing in EV readiness during building construction can result in 75% savings compared with retrofitting later. We can build a resilient, future-ready St. Louis by investing in electric mobility infrastructure now.”

This is not the first step Richmond Heights has taken to be a part of the expansion of infrastructure for EVs. Previously, the city installed a charging station at its municipal building and the local Schnucks installed a fast-charging station through Ameren Missouri’s Charge Ahead program. The Charge Ahead program aims to eliminate the barriers for electric car charging and promote the use of more efficient and cleaner cars and trucks on Missouri roads through the development of fast-charging stations.

Anecdotally, Thomson noted that every time he sees The Heights (community center) and the Schnucks charging stations, someone is using them.