Bengaluru: With electric vehicle (EV) adoption shifting into the fast lane as more and more households own or shift to them, charging infrastructure is at the centre of discussions in apartment complexes. Among Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) apartment projects, only one of the 15 complexes surveyed in Aug had an operational community EV-charging facility.BDA Apartment Owners’ Forum conducted the survey across its 15 properties to assess demand and readiness for EV charging infrastructure. The two-level survey, which covered 5,000 flats, found that 61% of residents already owned an EV. Two-wheelers made up most of this: 70% of EV-owning households had only an electric two-wheeler, 20% had both a two-wheeler and a four-wheeler, and 10% had only a four-wheeler.Since community charging was largely missing, residents were found to be managing on their own. Some 41% of them used public or commercial charging stations, 28% charged at home, and 17% charged at the workplace. Only 11% had a dedicated charger at their own parking spot — exposing a huge gap between what residents need and what is available.In response to the survey, a senior BDA official told TOI: “All apartments will have EV-charging stations. BDA is leading the effort to convert vehicles to EVs, and we will do everything possible towards this. The chairperson has asked us to take up EV-charging projects in existing apartments as well.”The survey found strong interest among those who don’t yet own an EV. All of them said they were planning to buy one in the next two years. Interestingly, more of these future buyers want four-wheelers, which need stronger charging setups than the two-wheelers most residents currently own. The forum said this should be kept in mind while planning charging infrastructure for the future.Residents said the survey indicates that EV adoption is already gaining traction across BDA apartment communities. However, the lack of adequate charging infrastructure remains a key challenge.A member of BDA Apartment Owners’ Forum said: “The survey aimed to identify gaps in EV infrastructure and understand how they can be addressed to encourage wider adoption of electric vehicles. We believe the authority can play a key role by improving EV infrastructure and facilitating necessary approvals, particularly for projects that remain under its control. This would make it easier for more residents to shift to EVs.”Their broader goal was to help BDA apartment communities evolve into better, more convenient and future-ready places to live, on a par with leading residential communities.Non-Owner Pipeline Findings* Non-owners considering EV purchase: 100%* Purchase timeline (6 months – 1 year): 40%* Purchase timeline (not fixed): 32%* Likely type — four-wheeler: 56%* Likely type — two-wheeler: 37%EV Ownership & Vehicle Mix* Residents who already own an EV: 61%* Households with 1 EV: 62%* Households with 2 EVs: 32%* Households with 3+ EVs: 6%* Electric 2-wheeler only: 70%* Both 2 & 4-wheelers: 20%* Electric 4-wheeler only: 10%Charging Behaviour & Challenges* Charging via public/commercial: 41%* Via regular home socket: 28%* At workplace: 17%* Via dedicated parking charger: 11%* Via battery swapping: 2%* Biggest challenge — no dedicated charging point: 51%* Challenge — no covered/closed parking: 17%* Challenge — parking far from electrical connection: 16%Community Charger Demand* Expected use — daily: 56%* Expected use — 3–5 times/week: 33%* Expected use — 1–2 times/week: 11%* Expected use — at least 3 times/week (combined): 89%
