Engineering projects adapt sockets to charge electric vehicles

You EVs (electric vehicles) are growing more and more in the urban mobility market. According to IEA (International Energy Agency), in the 1st quarter of 2021 alone there was a growth of 140% in sales of EVs across the planet. And in 2020, for example, the world spent around US$ 120 billion on buying these cars.

Read more: Sales of electric vehicles break record in 2021

In addition to being cleaner, another advantage of electric energy in relation to other fuels is its practicality: it is possible to refuel the car in the garage at home, just with a special charger.

However, despite being a simple idea, in the civil engineering sector this adaptation requires deeper changes in new residential projects. “Several electric cars in a condominium garage, for example, suggest that there will be an increase in energy consumption.”

“So, in addition to solar panels that supply part of this demand, we are also adapting intelligent energy managers, which read and appropriately direct consumption”, said João Borges, electrical engineer and technical coordinator at Projelet, an engineering office focused on development of innovative solutions.

He explains that the mechanism interrupts the supply of vehicles connected to the charger while there is greater electricity consumption in the apartments. When this demand drops, in the early hours of the morning, for example, cars begin to receive charging again.

“Today it is even possible to program the start and end times of supply. And it is worth remembering that the autonomy of EVs is something around 400 km. Depending on the driver’s habits, it is not necessary to fill up every day”, suggested Borges.

According to the expert, the most important thing is that condominiums are adapted to a new market reality, but without compromising sustainability. The idea is to offer innovation, but measuring peaks in energy consumption. “Using information technology to our advantage, this is perfectly adjustable in current engineering projects”, he assessed.

“It is part of our competence to identify and anticipate new consumer needs and take this into projects. The proliferation of electric or hybrid cars will make users make the most of the possibility of refueling their vehicle in their own garage. And our new technologies offer this”, he added.

Property purchase

The engineer also warned that this suitability should be one of the concerns of anyone interested in buying a property. “The trend for the coming years is for electric vehicles to multiply throughout the world, and condominiums that are not prepared may have lower market value.”

“This is an item that without a shadow of a doubt property buyers will start looking for soon. Homes and commercial spaces without suitable chargers to refuel cars will be less valued. Stopping at gas stations may continue to be routine for owners of electrified vehicles, but only for those who do not have a property adapted to their needs”, he concluded.