---
title: "EV Charging Infrastructure New Buildings | AVANORTH"
canonical_url: "https://avanorth.ca/blog/electric-vehicle-charging-infrastructure-new-buildings"
last_updated: "2026-03-10T07:33:47.221Z"
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description: "EV charging infrastructure guide for new buildings: charging levels, Ontario code requirements, load management, and future-proofing strategies."
"og:description": "EV charging infrastructure guide for new buildings: charging levels, Ontario code requirements, load management, and future-proofing strategies."
"og:title": "EV Charging Infrastructure New Buildings"
"twitter:description": "EV charging infrastructure guide for new buildings: charging levels, Ontario code requirements, load management, and future-proofing strategies."
"twitter:title": "EV Charging Infrastructure New Buildings"
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**Green Building**·May 5, 2026· 4 min read
# **Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure in New Buildings**
As electric vehicle adoption accelerates, new buildings must include EV charging infrastructure. Understanding charging levels, electrical capacity planning, and code requirements ensures future-ready construction.
**AVANORTH Team**
AVANORTH Construction
Electric vehicle (EV) sales in Canada have grown from less than 3% of new vehicle sales in 2020 to over 10% in 2025, with the federal government mandating that 100% of new passenger vehicle sales be zero-emission by 2035. This rapid transition means that within a decade, the majority of vehicles parked at homes, offices, and commercial buildings will need electric charging capability. Buildings constructed today without EV charging infrastructure will require expensive retrofits.
---
## EV Charging Levels
| Level | Voltage / Amps | Power (kW) | Range Added per Hour | Typical Use |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Level 1 | 120V / 12A | 1.4 kW | 6-8 km | Standard household outlet (emergency / overnight top-up only) |
| Level 2 | 240V / 30-48A | 7.2-11.5 kW | 30-50 km | Home, workplace, commercial (the standard for building-integrated charging) |
| DC Fast Charging | 480V+ / varies | 50-350 kW | 250-1,000 km | Highway stations, fleet depots (not typical for buildings) |
> **For Building Design:** Level 2 charging at 240V is the standard for residential and commercial buildings. A Level 2 charger on a 40-amp circuit provides approximately 9.6 kW, enough to fully charge most EVs overnight (8-10 hours). Level 1 is too slow for practical daily use. DC fast charging is expensive and typically only installed at dedicated charging stations or fleet facilities.
---
## Code Requirements
### Ontario Building Code (OBC)
Recent amendments to the OBC require new buildings to provide EV charging infrastructure:
- **New residential (houses and townhomes):** A minimum 200-amp electrical panel with a dedicated 50-amp, 240V circuit roughed in to the garage or parking area for EV charging
- **New multi-unit residential:** At least 20% of parking spaces must be "EV-ready" (conduit and panel capacity in place), with the remaining spaces having a pathway for future conduit installation
- **New commercial/institutional:** At least 20% of parking spaces EV-ready
### Electrical Planning
| Building Type | Typical Per-Space Electrical Capacity | Panel Provision |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Single-family home | 40-50A, 240V circuit | Dedicated breaker space in main panel |
| Condo / apartment | 40A per space (or managed via load sharing) | Sub-panel in parking garage, metered per unit |
| Office building | 40A per space (Level 2) | Dedicated EV sub-panel with room for growth |
| Retail / hospitality | Varies (Level 2 or DC fast charge) | Utility-side transformer capacity for future load |
---
## Load Management
The biggest challenge for multi-unit buildings is that providing a dedicated 40-amp circuit for every parking space would require enormous electrical capacity. Load management solutions address this:
1. **Circuit sharing:** Two vehicles share one 40-amp circuit. The chargers communicate to alternate charging, reducing the peak load by 50%.
2. **Networked load management:** A central controller manages all chargers in the building, distributing available power across all connected vehicles based on priority, scheduling, or demand.
3. **Time-of-use optimization:** Chargers are programmed to charge during off-peak electricity hours (typically 7 PM to 7 AM), reducing both peak demand charges and energy costs.
4. **Demand response:** The building's energy management system can reduce or pause EV charging during peak building load events (e.g., hot summer afternoons when HVAC demand is highest).
---
## Installation Considerations
- **Conduit routing:** Plan conduit pathways from the electrical room to every parking space at design stage. Retrofitting conduit through finished parking structures is extremely expensive.
- **Ventilation:** Indoor parking with EV charging does not require additional ventilation beyond standard code requirements (EVs produce no exhaust). However, the small risk of thermal runaway in a lithium battery should be considered in fire protection design.
- **Metering:** In multi-unit residential buildings, individual sub-metering for each charger allows the cost of charging to be billed to the unit owner rather than the condominium corporation.
- **Future-proofing:** Even if only 20% of spaces are equipped initially, size the electrical infrastructure (transformer, switchgear, panel) for 100% of spaces to avoid costly future upgrades.
> **AVANORTH EV-Ready:** Every new building we construct includes EV charging infrastructure designed for 100% future coverage, not just the minimum code requirement. We route conduit to every parking space and size the electrical service for full build-out. Our residential clients receive a dedicated 50-amp EV circuit as standard. This forward-thinking approach adds minimal cost during construction but saves thousands in retrofit costs later.
#electric-vehicles #green-building #infrastructure
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