Palo Alto Requires New Homes Be Pre-Wired for Electric Vehicles

Here's a great example where forward-thinking government and citizens work together for the betterment of the community and the planet.

Palo Alto City Council adopted a proposal that requires new homes be pre-wired for electric vehicles, specifically 240 Volt 2 Level Charging Stations. The City also streamlined the permitting process of installing a charger.

Vice Mayor Nancy Shepherd says the initiative was inspired by resident Sven Thesen, an Evergreen Park resident, who installed a curbside charger outside his home for public use per this San Jose Mercury News article.

Do you want your city to adopt a similar program? Here's Palo Alto's Guideline and keep me posted if you decide to approach your city and your city adopts similar requirements.

If you're interested in reading more about electric vehicles, here are my past car reviews:
- Chevy Volt
- Plugin Prius Hybrid
- Nissan Leaf
- BMW ActiveE 

as well as California Governor Jerry Brown's 2012 Announcement to fund electric charging stations across California.

 Palo Alto’s city council adopted a proposal that requires new homes be pre-wired for electric vehicles – new homes must include the installation of 240-Volt Level 2 charging stations.
Read more at http://cleantechnica.com/2013/10/02/palo-alto-requiring-new-homes-ready-electric-cars/#MRMCjrlvmgrYd8tk.99

 Palo Alto’s city council adopted a proposal that requires new homes be pre-wired for electric vehicles – new homes must include the installation of 240-Volt Level 2 charging stations.
Read more at http://cleantechnica.com/2013/10/02/palo-alto-requiring-new-homes-ready-electric-cars/#MRMCjrlvmgrYd8tk.99

Streamlining the permitting process of installing a charger in an existing home was another move Palo Alto’s city council approved to develop more interest in electric vehicles and increase their use.
The vote for the package of electric-car policies was a clear 9-0. It is easy to see a unanimous vote for such an EV-supportive requirement in progressive areas such as Silicon Valley. Hopefully it won’t take long for others to follow on with such a move.
The San Jose Mercury News reports that Vice Mayor Nancy Shepherd added that the memo was spurred by a recent phone call from Sven Thesen, an Evergreen Park resident who has installed a curbside charger in front of his home for public use. “The thing that caught me is how simple and easy and fairly inexpensive it is to rough-in the wiring,” Shepherd said.

Read more at http://cleantechnica.com/2013/10/02/palo-alto-requiring-new-homes-ready-electric-cars/#MRMCjrlvmgrYd8tk.99