Why EV Charging at Home Matters Even More in Winter

One of the biggest conveniences of EV charging compared to traditional gas fueling is the ability to charge while parked at home, avoiding frequent trips to the fuel pump. While EV drivers with single family homes can typically install a charger in their garage or driveway, those in multifamily properties aren’t always as lucky. This leaves these residents stopping at nearby fast chargers or depending on level 2 chargers at inconvenient locations. This is especially inconvenient in cold weather months, and can even limit the full capabilities of electric vehicles. PlugOp is working to bridge the gap by partnering with multifamily portfolios to bring more EV charging to these communities.

Convenient Charging at Home

Driving home on a cold day, the last thing any of us want to do is stop to charge our vehicle. For residents in a multifamily community with EV charging, they can simply plug in when arriving back home. With PlugOp’s assigned charging feature, properties can also assign these chargers to residents, so they are guaranteed to have a space available to charge.

Preconditioning While Maintaining Battery

Most EVs allow for scheduled pre-conditioning of the vehicle, which not only warms up the cabin, but also the battery - extending range during cold weather. While plugged in, vehicles can pre-condition using energy from the grid instead of the vehicle, saving that energy for driving. This allows drivers to jump into a warm car on a cold morning, with the battery heated to the perfect temperature for driving.

Offsetting Reduced Cold Weather Range

Like any vehicle, EVs do lose some range and efficiency in the winter, mainly due to the energy needed keep the battery at an appropriate temperature. This means EV drivers may need to charge more to offset that range loss. In these colder months, home charging becomes even more necessary to make sure vehicles stay charged and ready to drive. Most vehicle manufacturers actually recommend keeping EVs plugged in when not in use to maximize battery health and ownership experience.

How PlugOp Can Help

PlugOp makes reliable home charging accessible for multifamily residents year-round, but especially during the demanding winter months. Our end-to-end partnership model handles everything from initial site assessment to turnkey installation and ongoing energy management, ensuring your residents have the charging infrastructure they need when cold weather increases demand.

Built for the Demands of Apartment Living

Unlike commercial charging solutions, PlugOp was designed specifically around the unique needs of multifamily properties—overnight charging patterns, resident-first workflows, and the economics of portfolio-scale deployment. Our 24/7 monitoring and nationwide service network ensure that when residents plug in during cold weather, their vehicle charges reliably every time.

Ready to bring convenient winter charging to your multifamily community? Contact us below to learn how we can help your residents enjoy the full benefits of EV ownership, no matter the weather.