Why EV Charger Installations Are Accelerating in 2025 — What Property Owners in Los Angeles Need to Know

Public EV charging reliability is improving, federal policy is loosening some regulatory barriers, and new hardware approaches—like solar canopies that integrate chargers—are making installations faster and more flexible. For property owners, commercial landlords, multifamily managers, and fleets in Los Angeles, 2025 looks like a year to seriously consider adding EV charging. This guide summarizes recent industry developments and turns them into practical steps you can take, with a focus on real site needs and how Shaffer Construction, Inc. can help you move from concept to a working charging site.

What the data says: chargers are more reliable, but drivers notice price and access

Multiple industry studies and reporting in 2025 show a clear trend: the number of failed charging visits has dropped compared with earlier years, meaning drivers encounter fewer broken chargers and fewer stations that won’t accept a plug. This improvement reflects better maintenance, smarter software, and wider deployment of robust equipment. At the same time, many EV drivers are less satisfied overall because of charging cost and availability in some locations.

For a snapshot of those customer-experience trends, see coverage of J.D. Power’s 2025 public charging study, which reports that non-charging visits are at a four-year low while satisfaction scores vary across networks and price points. Source: J.D. Power reporting.

Policy and regulatory changes that matter to installers and site hosts

Federal guidance and state programs continue to evolve, and a key development in 2025 is the effort to make NEVI (National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) funds and related rules easier to use. Federal agencies have issued updated guidance aimed at giving states more flexibility and reducing some permitting and administrative hurdles so public chargers can be built faster and with better use of federal dollars. These changes are designed to accelerate corridor and community charging deployments while maintaining accountability.

Separately, the U.S. Department of Transportation and other agencies have revised guidance to streamline regulatory requirements for charger deployment. These changes affect how states and localities design programs, and they can reduce the time and cost for getting chargers permitted and funded. For a summary of these regulatory updates, read the coverage here: NEVI policy updates and USDOT streamlining guidance.

What these trends mean locally in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is already ahead in EV adoption compared with many areas, and the local market is influenced by both state climate goals and federal infrastructure programs. What this means on the ground:

Sites that want to attract tenants, customers, or revenue from charging should prioritize reliability and transparent pricing; drivers will reward locations that consistently work and that provide predictable costs.

Regulatory changes and funding flexibility make it easier to pursue grant-funded installations, but you still need a qualified contractor to navigate utility coordination and local permitting.

Innovative hardware—such as solar-integrated canopies—can reduce the need for immediate grid upgrades and deliver shading benefits for customers while charging vehicles.

If you’re weighing whether to install Level 2 chargers or DC fast chargers, consider expected dwell time (how long users typically stay), utility demand charges, property electrical capacity, and future expansion plans. A mixed approach is often the best match for commercial properties and multifamily communities.

Solar canopies and off-grid options: a practical path to faster deployment

One of the biggest technical advances helping faster charger deployment is the combination of solar canopies, integrated inverters, and battery storage. These systems can reduce the peak load drawn from the grid, which in turn reduces the need for costly utility service upgrades. They also provide covered parking, which is valuable in hot climates and for property amenities.

Manufacturers are increasingly patenting canopy-integrated charger systems designed for rapid deployment where grid capacity is limited. These solutions can be particularly useful for site hosts that prefer to avoid long utility upgrade timelines while still offering power-hungry DC fast chargers. For a recent example of this hardware approach and its patented design, see this industry announcement: Paired Power’s PairTree solar-integrated EV charger system.

Site selection and technical checklist

Before digging or ordering equipment, run a short, structured assessment. Here is a practical checklist that Shaffer Construction uses when scoping a project:

Site usage profile: parking turnover, peak hours, and expected dwell time.

Available electrical service: meter size, main breaker rating, transformer proximity, and conduit pathways.

Existing civil constraints: underground utilities, pavement, ADA access, and stormwater considerations.

Telecom and networking needs: cellular vs. Wi‑Fi vs. Ethernet for charger communications and payment.

Permitting: local building and electrical permits, interconnection paperwork, and any CEQA/NEPA screening when federal funds are involved.

Utility coordination: service upgrade estimates, demand charge mitigation strategies, and potential off-peak or rate-based incentives.

Maintenance plan: service intervals, remote monitoring, and spare-part strategies to minimize downtime.

Running this checklist early reduces surprises, controls costs, and shortens time-to-first-charge.

Costs, timelines, and common budget items

Costs vary widely by site. Typical line items include equipment (chargers, pedestals, mounts), electrical upgrades (transformer, panel, conduit, trenching), network and payment systems, civil work (curbs, ADA, striping), and permitting/inspection fees. DC fast charging adds higher costs for power delivery and potentially for grid upgrades.

Timelines depend largely on utility lead time and permitting. When utility service upgrades are required, lead times can be several months. The regulatory shifts in 2025 aim to shorten administrative delays and help states use federal funds more quickly, but utility interconnection still often sets the schedule. With a thorough site assessment and proactive utility coordination, many Level 2 sites can be completed in a few weeks to a few months; DC fast charging sites typically take longer.

How to manage reliability and user satisfaction

With reliability trending upward across networks, site hosts still need a plan for uptime and customer experience. Key actions include:

Choose reliable, warranty-backed hardware from manufacturers that provide remote diagnostics and software updates.

Implement a monitoring and rapid-response maintenance contract so that failures are detected and fixed quickly.

Display clear pricing and user instructions at the stall to reduce confusion and complaints.

Consider payment systems that accept common networks or support multiple authentication methods to avoid “non-charging” visits.

Industry coverage notes that while reliability is improving, drivers are sensitive to cost and availability, so the user experience remains central to successful charging installations. [InsideEVs coverage of charging reliability](https://insideevs.com/news/768900/ev-public-charging-reliability-2025/) highlights those customer-facing issues.

Financing and funding: where to look

Federal and state programs have provided significant incentives and funding streams for EV infrastructure. NEVI funds and related grant programs are intended to expand both corridor and community charging. While federal guidance in 2025 has shifted to reduce administrative friction and allow more flexibility in how grantees build and operate chargers, local grant timelines and application requirements still matter.

Because public funding rules change, most property owners benefit from working with an experienced contractor who knows how to prepare grant-ready scopes of work and assemble the technical documentation required for applications and reimbursements. Proactive coordination with utilities and agencies increases the chance of securing funding or reimbursement.

Choosing the right contractor: what to expect from your builder

A qualified electrical and general contractor should provide:

A complete site assessment and written scope that includes utility coordination and permitting.

Experience with both Level 2 and DC fast charger installations, including high-voltage systems where required.

Electrical design and permit-ready drawings, plus coordination with structural or civil engineers if canopies, foundations, or curb cuts are needed.

Project management—single point of contact for timeline, inspections, and punchlists.

Commissioning, testing, and a maintenance plan with SLA options.

Shaffer Construction, Inc. is a Los Angeles-based electrical and general contractor that specializes in EV charger installations. We handle the site assessment, permitting, utility coordination, installation, commissioning, and ongoing maintenance. Contact us for a no-obligation site review.

Real next steps for property owners in Los Angeles

If you’re thinking about EV charging at your property, here’s a simple action plan to get started:

Request a site visit from a qualified contractor to run the checklist above.

Ask the utility for a site-specific service and interconnection estimate.

Decide whether to begin with Level 2 for amenity charging or invest in at least one DC fast charger for commercial demand.

Explore canopy-integrated or solar-plus-storage options if your site has limited grid capacity or if you want on-site energy resilience.

Prepare permitting documents and consider applying for available state or federal funds (NEVI-related programs and local incentives).

Conclusion

The combination of improving charger reliability, evolving federal guidance to speed deployment, and innovative hardware such as solar-integrated canopies makes 2025 a favorable year to plan and install EV charging. Property owners who act now and who work with experienced contractors can capture the benefits: higher property value, tenant and customer attraction, and a future-ready facility that supports electric mobility.

For a site assessment, permit guidance, or a turnkey installation in Los Angeles, contact Shaffer Construction, Inc.:

Shaffer Construction, Inc. 325 N Larchmont Blvd. #202 Los Angeles, CA 90004 Phone: 323-642-8509 Email: hello@shaffercon.com Website: www.shaffercon.com

Sources used in this article: J.D. Power reporting on public charging reliability (DealershipGuy link), InsideEVs coverage of public charging trends (InsideEVs), reporting on NEVI policy changes (EV Infrastructure & Energy News), USDOT guidance summaries (Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology), and a recent example of solar-integrated EV charging hardware (Paired Power PairTree announcement).