Widespread EV adoption is reshaping the built environment, making charging accessibility a key consideration for developers and businesses. Leading the charge is California with an ambitious goal: 100% of new vehicle sales must be zero-emission by 2035. In addition, the state has a mandate that all new trucks registered must be powered by batteries or hydrogen.
With these policies, critical questions emerge: How will this transformation impact the demand for industrial development? How will businesses navigate project costs, schedules, and evolving policy landscapes? Understanding these challenges is essential for developers, fleet operators, and EV infrastructure investors.
A recent Globe Street article reflects on shifting sustainability trends and the important decisions ahead. The article states, “Commercial real estate property owners, developers, and investors should take a step back this year and reconsider the number of charging facilities they might need over the next few years.”
We know that re-evaluating is crucial—but even more important to recognize is to take action now. When the market evolves, the best way to stay ahead is to adapt; bringing creativity, resourcefulness, and an experienced team in. Waiting too long could spell missed opportunities to future-proof your business and maximize property value.
They See Challenge. We See Opportunity!
Ware Malcomb has been actively engaged in EV charging facility design for more than five years. We’ve supported several EV charging projects with numerous currently underway and under engaging discussions.
Specifically, our Civil Engineering teams thrive on the complexity of these projects due to the heavy coordination of underground infrastructure involved. For instance, numerous conduits and ducts supply the site, battery, and charging stations, requiring careful coordination with underground utilities such as stormwater, water, sewer, and telecommunications.
Our goal is to help clients navigate evolving market demands by leveraging our experience in both charging hubs and depots. We assess things like location, type, number, and market demand for EV facilities today with future considerations as well. Our design approach focuses on maximizing real estate value while ensuring adaptability for the future, offering the guidance needed to seamlessly integrate EV charging into commercial and industrial properties.
What We’ve Learned To Navigate & Adapt
Whether you’re managing a logistics fleet, adapting to market shifts, or developing EV charging stations for others, you’re likely wondering what it takes to move a project forward. Here are the most common considerations we’re working on with our clients to implement.
The Critical Need for Upfront Due Diligence
Lack of planning for EV charging station installations can result in wasted design efforts, permitting issues, and infrastructure limitations. The culprit? Zoning codes and utility availability. Most agencies don’t have zoning that clearly applies to EV charging stations, so early communication is crucial.
Preliminary research and understanding location are essential. A comprehensive site analysis to assess zoning laws, power availability, and long-term demand projections helps our clients understand the outlook of their proposed projects. This includes identifying opportunities to fast-track the process by creatively combining EV with another use subject to a permit.
Additionally, we bring on early collaboration with expert dry utility consultants to evaluate power capacity, interconnection options, and necessary infrastructure upgrades. These steps can help avoid costly setbacks in site selection, ultimately leading to smooth project implementation. These setbacks can include wasted time, increased design costs, and a lower initial ROI due to reduced charging capacity.
Power
According to the International Energy Agency, “Electric vehicles could account for 6-8% of total electricity demand by 2035, up from 0.5% today.” Additionally, most EV charging stations rely on the electrical grid for energy which poses major constraints on capacity loads. This knowledge limits most of the charging sites we work with in California to about 5 acres for day 1 charging while studies have been done for a phased approach to larger sites.
However, it’s important to note that some areas like the Port of Long Beach are naturally well equipped for EV charging stations as a lot of power exists there. It is currently home to the largest charging depot at any North American port to date.
To address power limitations, it’s crucial to strategically place charging hubs and depots along high-traffic corridors. This will help optimize where fleets will need them to reach their destinations and return without charging interruptions.
As a short-term alternative where land is limited by power constraints, microturbines and small modular reactors (or SMR’s) are viable alternatives, but they come at a significant cost.
As an example, thorough due diligence studies were completed for one of our clients. These studies revealed that power was limited at two of their potential sites (Ontario and Fontana). Knowing the potential financial impact in obtaining alternative power solutions, the client was able to make a decision on whether they wanted to pursue the project or not.
Utility Coordination
In addition to equipment and underground utilities associated with EV charging, stormwater facilities must also be designed. Many of these projects are phased due to power capacity or lack of available power. Creative approaches are necessary to avoid excessive upfront investment in infrastructure that may not yield immediate returns.
One approach to this is trenching for conduits to allow for future cable installation without disrupting paved surfaces. This allows for the energization of charging stations in future phases as power becomes available, while not interrupting current operations. This careful planning and phasing are essential to align infrastructure development with power availability and project needs.
Creative Zoning & Code Compliance Solutions
Many zoning laws and building codes have yet to catch up with the rapid expansion of EV charging infrastructure.
Some regulations restrict parking use for charging, while others lack clear categorization for EV stations, often delaying approvals.
We frequently collaborate with local jurisdictions to align zoning regulations with state legislation designed to promote and streamline EV projects. By fostering open dialogue and providing clarity on evolving policies, we are able to move projects forward efficiently while meeting both local and statewide sustainability goals.
To navigate zoning challenges, one approach is to repurpose underutilized spaces, such as taxi parking lots or fleet storage areas, to accommodate EV chargers.
Additionally, working closely with local planning officials to advocate for flexible interpretations of zoning codes can help accelerate approvals and deployment.
For example, in cases where EV charging is not the primary use of a site, separating permits—one for EV infrastructure and another for other uses requiring a conditional use permit—can expedite the installation process while staying in compliance with all regulations.
Limited Availability of Open Parking Sites
Limited open parking in urban areas and commercial properties makes it difficult to allocate space for EV charging stations, as high-density developments prioritize building footprints over expansive parking lots. To integrate EV chargers efficiently, we encourage exploring underutilized spaces such as parking structures, rooftop lots, or side yards. Additionally, partnering with municipalities to identify public land that can be repurposed for charging infrastructure can help solve this issue.
Design Considerations
As technology advances, EV charging equipment also rapidly evolves, requiring thoughtful site planning to optimize efficiency, security, and sustainability for the people and their transportation. For example:
- To enhance privacy & security, incorporate screening or perimeter fencing to protect charging trucks, ensuring both security and discretion during extended charging periods.
- Since charging can take significant time, amenity buildings provide comfortable lounge areas to support drivers during their wait.
- Maximize parking capacity while allocating sufficient space for infrastructure storage needs to keep operations.
- Integrate solar canopies for energy generation, water collection systems, and other sustainable best practices to enhance long-term efficiency and design for sufficient, strategically located space for charging, battery storage, and service equipment, as these high-value assets are critical to revenue generation and project success.
An example of well-executed design is our project with the Anaheim Transportation Network. Together with our Irvine civil engineering and architecture teams, we designed a site for ATN’s Fleet of electric vehicles which includes 30, 40, and 60-foot buses, vans and micro-transit vehicles. The goal of this project was to continue to provide sustainable, clean transportation to local destinations to over nine million residents. To date, ATN’s public transit services eliminate 2.5 million automobile trips from our streets each year, equaling to about 32 miles of traffic each year.
The Road Ahead:
As we get closer to the 2035 milestone and the demand for EV charging stations increases, partnerships and creative collaboration will be the key to unlocking the right path forward.
At Ware Malcomb, we combine design expertise with problem-solving and engineering ingenuity to help usher our clients towards a cleaner, electrified future.
If you’re involved in commercial or industrial development and considering EV charging as a primary or secondary function of a ground-up or reposition, let’s start the conversation.
