From Fleets to Apartments: Ensuring No EV Customer Is Left Behind

Four steps to streamline electric service connections for small EV customers.

Global electric vehicle (EV) sales have grown rapidly over the past five years, increasing nearly 500 percent between 2020 and 2024. And in the United States, despite a slowdown due to changes in federal policy, EV sales are still projected to rise by about 2.5 million from 2025 to 2030. This continued momentum underscores the need for widespread and reliable access to charging infrastructure. And while stakeholders are actively creating new programs to address this, an often-overlooked group of EV adopters — small fleet operators and residents of multi-family housing (MFH) — still face disproportionate and unique challenges in connecting to the electric grid. Delays, unexpected upgrade costs, and other obstacles, such as customer unpreparedness, can slow projects, hinder electrification efforts, and limit access to clean transportation options.

To address this, RMI in collaboration with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), Alliance for Transportation Electrification (ATE), and ten Clean Cities and Communities partners created a roadmap for streamlined grid service connections for these small EV customers. The roadmap, informed by a needs assessment based on real-world customer and utility experiences, provides actionable solutions to address these challenges and clarifies who — utilities, cities, or regulators — is best positioned to implement each solution to ensure no customer is left behind in the EV transition.

The challenge: Why small customers struggle with energization 

For smaller EV charging customers, such as apartment building owners and renters, as well as local businesses and delivery fleets, the electric service connection process can be confusing, time-consuming, and costly. These hurdles may lead fleet and property owners/managers to abandon EV charging plans — despite tenant requests or local policy motivations. For both groups, one misstep in the process can result in months-long delays and budget overruns.

The consequences: High costs and long timelines 

Unlike a building construction project, purchasing EVs and chargers is considerably quicker than connecting to the electric grid. For a building, the utility has a much longer lead time to prepare for connections and upgrades, whereas with EV projects, customers need their charging stations energized within weeks. These EV service connection timelines can be exacerbated by the need for large grid upgrades and/or complex permitting. Relatedly, project costs are often unpredictable and can escalate due to the need for trenching or civil construction work, panel upgrades, and new transformers, as well as support for obtaining permits and easement approvals, some of which can be amplified by a lack of funding and customer incentive programs. These factors create disproportionate burdens for smaller customers who often lack awareness of the energization process and in-house expertise, as well as both economic and human capital. Without clear guidance, they may overbuild, underestimate costs, or give up altogether.

Solutions and roles: Making connections easier for small customers 

These challenges underscore the need to streamline service connections and provide related support, thereby making electrification easier for small customers. These actions may be led by utilities; however, many require collaboration with stakeholders ranging from the customers themselves to contractors, equipment providers, and local government. Below, we highlight some of the key solutions developed in the Roadmap.

1. Developing Customer Resources and Helping Them Plan Smarter

Small customers often lack access to essential information and educational resources, such as submission guidelines, site design templates, sample costs, and bridging solutions. Utilities can fill this gap by providing these tools and partnering with local governments, clean cities coalitions, and community organizations to share these resources.

To make the process more accessible, utilities can host webinars, share information online, offer translation services, create standardized templates, connect customers to funding opportunities, and develop clear, user-friendly content. Providing this support early empowers customers to select the right infrastructure, streamline the energization process, and work more effectively with utilities.

Recommended utility resources for customer education and awareness

 

 

2. Increasing Transparency and Streamlining Utility Processes

Streamlining utility processes and increasing overall transparency would significantly improve the EVSE installation and energization experience for many small customers. Current processes often feel overly complicated and unclear, which can increase costs and overall time, requiring multiple back-and-forth communications between the client and the utility. Utilities can take proactive measures to improve the connection experience, providing transparency and a clearer understanding of the process for customers while also streamlining the process internally.

Recommended actions to increase transparency and streamline utility processes

 

3. Collaborating with Local Government and Industry

The onus for improving this process doesn’t fall solely on the utility; collaboration with the local government or Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) and industry can also be valuable. These efforts can support workforce development, creating skilled EV technicians and new job opportunities. Partnerships with local unions, community colleges, and vocational programs can help ensure a sufficient labor force for EVSE installation and maintenance. Key strategies include:

• Standardizing permit requirements across municipalities, particularly for small projects, using a tool such as SolarAPP, which helps expedite permitting for residential solar applications.
• Training building inspectors and permitting officials on EVSE processes and removing barriers to charge installation in communities (e.g., via participation in the Charging Smart program).
• Offering utility-led permit-submission services on behalf of small customers, developed in consultation with AHJs.
• Including pre-approved easement language approved by AHJs in tariffs or standard service agreements to avoid legal delays.
• Promoting pre-designated EV zones in city development plans to speed connections.
• Conducting load forecasting using electrification project goals and information from local governments and the community, and publishing hosting capacity maps to identify available capacity for load connection.
• Developing local electrician and equipment provider directories to help small customers find qualified contractors and suppliers.
• Sponsoring workforce programs and partnering with vocational schools, especially in disadvantaged areas. Utilities and local governments may also sponsor Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP) certifications for their workforce, focused on EVSE installations.
• Sharing regional demand forecasts between partners to align workforce development plans and program development with projected needs based on EV adoption.

By implementing these measures collaboratively, utilities, local governments, and industry can streamline EV adoption, reduce administrative barriers, and cultivate a local skilled workforce ready to support growing EV infrastructure.

4. Sustaining Customer Relationships After Energization

Another important part of the process is conducting post-energization follow-ups and maintaining a relationship with the customer to ensure everything is working as expected. This will help identify issues and facilitate case studies and points for improvement in the process.

Some of these items could include offering basic maintenance support resources and coordination with third-party installers to maintain service continuity. The utility could also follow up to encourage participation in managed charging or demand response programs, share new funding or rate options, or collect data to support continuous improvement.

Ensuring Everyone Has Access to an Electrified Future 

The transition to electric transportation is well underway, but unless we address the unique challenges facing small EV customers, many could be left behind.

The good news? We already know what works. Implementing a targeted mix of customer education, streamlined utility processes, flexible financing options, and interagency collaboration on permitting issues can significantly reduce project costs and timelines for small customers.

Utilities, local governments, and regulators each have a critical role to play. Whether it’s launching fleet advisory services, simplifying permit approvals, or expanding funding, these actions will ensure that every community — regardless of size or income — can participate in the EV revolution.

Let’s ensure the EV future is not just fast and clean, but also accessible to all.

Download the Roadmap to learn more.