The Tucson City Council adopted a new city code Tuesday to require new construction of one- and two-family homes to have infrastructure for electric vehicles.
Tucson City Council has adopted an ordinance to require some new residential construction to be electric vehicle-ready.
Council members unanimously approved a motion Tuesday to amend the city’s building code to require new construction of one- and two-family dwellings to have a designated parking space with one 40-amp power outlet installed to charge electric vehicles.
The code calls the new requirement an “EV ready space” for residences including single family homes, duplexes and townhouses. The requirement doesn’t apply to residences with no on-site parking.
The move comes as part of the city’s “Electric Vehicle Roadmap” adopted in April to improve air quality and public health, reduce consumer fuel costs and make the city’s electric grid more efficient through supporting vehicle electrification.
“I’m not looking at this particular issue on a case-by-case basis, but having a vision for how we’re going to build an electric vehicle grid and how we’re going to move into the future based on the vision and the priorities that this mayor and council has been so clear on in terms of climate resiliency and climate adaptation,” Mayor Regina Romero said. “This is a big portion of that.”
The electric vehicle code change also supports the climate emergency declaration City Council adopted in September 2020, which committed Tucson to reach carbon neutrality by 2030 with transit electrification as a key strategy.
