Where Will Those Without a Garage Charge Their Electric Vehicle?

Charging and Infrastructure
Creation: 17 October 2026

With over 600,000 electric vehicles in Türkiye, drivers without garages have pushed the charging solution onto apartment building agendas and into the streets.

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Electric vehicle owners without a garage or a deeded enclosed parking space charge their vehicles at the shared charging installation in the apartment building's parking lot, at municipal units installed on the street, at shopping mall and workplace points, or with portable devices. Which option is suitable depends on the building's structure, the rules in the distribution region, and daily driving distance.

Highlights

Exceeding 600,000 electric vehicles, has brought the charging-without-garage problem onto every apartment building's agenda.
The approval requirement for installing a charging unit in common areas to 50%+1 has been lowered; units are exempt from structures requiring a permit.
As of June 23, 2026 in three distribution regions, instead of individual applications, a per-block rule of 1 shared charging installation applies.
In new buildings with 20 or more mandatory parking spaces, at least 1 charging unit and 5% of the parking must be prepared EV-ready.
Approximately 80% of daily use is covered by home and workplace AC charging; planning is critical for those parking on the street.

The number of electric vehicles in Türkiye has risen from the 737 level of 2016 to over 600,000 as of October 2025. The natural consequence of this growth is that the charging problem no longer concerns only wallbox owners in villa gardens. Most people in the country live in apartment buildings and park their cars on the street or in shared parking at night. This page covers the options available to the electric vehicle driver without a garage, the technical limits of each, and how to build a plan suited to one's own situation.

If home charging is not possible, which options actually work?

The clearest way to distinguish the options is to group them by charging power. There are three layers, each with different speed, cost, and accessibility:

Charging type	Power	Typical location	Time for 10%→80%
AC (slow)	3.7-22 kW	Home, workplace, parking lot	4-10 hours
DC (fast)	50-150 kW	Shopping mall, fuel station	30-60 min
HPC (ultra-fast)	180-400 kW	Highway	15-25 min

The practical conclusion from the table is this: although fast and ultra-fast DC stations seem like a lifesaver for the driver without a garage, approximately 80% of daily use is still covered by home and workplace type AC charging. With average consumption in the 15-20 kWh/100 km range, for someone driving a few hundred kilometers a week, going to the shopping mall parking lot to DC charge every time is not sustainable in terms of both time and cost. The goal of the driver without a garage is to establish a permanent AC solution; DC stations should be positioned only as an emergency and long-distance tool.

The difference between AC and DC is important for this reason too. In AC charging, the conversion of the grid's alternating current to direct current is done in the vehicle's onboard charger, and its speed is limited by that unit's power. In DC charging, the converter is at the station; that is why much higher power is delivered. An average example: 22 kW AC unit, raises a 60 kWh battery to 80% in about 3 hours; 150 kW DC does the same job in does it. The formula is simple: Charging Time = Battery Capacity / Charging Power. 11 kW works with most homes' three-phase connection; 22 kW requires 32A and a stronger three-phase infrastructure.

Can you have a charging unit installed in an apartment parking lot?

Tapulu bir otoparkınız varsa apartman yönetiminden izin almadan elektrikli araç şarj ünitesi kurabiliyorsunuz.

The answer varies depending on the details of your building and title deed situation, but the legislation has become noticeably easier over the past two years. With the circular sent by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change to all 81 provinces, the old 80% (4/5) co-owner approval requirement 50%+1 was lowered. Charging units were removed from the scope of "construction in common areas"; units with fire and electrical precautions in place are not considered structures requiring a permit.

If your parking space has a title deed

Under the Condominium Law, a unit can be installed in a parking space with exclusive allocation, meaning one with a title deed, without board permission as long as other sections are not affected. In cases not requiring infrastructure changes, installation can be done with increased power without collecting signatures; if main infrastructure renewal is needed, at least 51% co-owner approval is required.

What did the June 23, 2026 connection rules change?

The most critical current development for those without garages is the new connection rules that came into force in the AYEDAŞ, Başkent EDAŞ and Toroslar EDAŞ regions. Here is the summary:

In buildings with more than two independent sections, individual charging station applications for common areas are no longer accepted; the application is made by the site or building management.
In multi-unit blocks, a maximum of 1 per block shared-consumption charging installation can be set up; it is designed with separate installation and a separate meter.
In buildings with 1-2 units, no separate subscription is given; supply is made from the unit's meter or the common area. Detached house and villa owners can continue to feed their wallbox from their own meters.
Slow charging (2-3.7 kW) from a unit's outlet with a mobile device does not require a separate application.

These rules are currently limited to three distribution company regions; the timeline for other regions is not yet clear. The logic behind the regulation is also being debated: supporters argue that uncontrolled installations damage the infrastructure and charging with the residential tariff creates tiered tariff limit violations. Opponents criticize the "1 installation per block" scale for a 5-unit building and a 55-unit block being put in the same category, saying capacity problems will arise in large complexes. The neutral reading is this: the regulation does not ban charging, it moves from individual solutions to collective planning; however, in buildings that cannot form a collective will, charging is effectively postponed. The status of stations duly installed before the regulation also remains unclear.

Is charging from an outlet a safe solution?

Technically possible, but from an engineer's perspective this is the weakest link. A standard household outlet is not designed to carry high current continuously for hours; prolonged use can lead to overheating and fire risk. If the cable runs through a shared area or along a facade, neighbors also have the right to object. Since charging from a single-phase outlet remains slow and is risky in the long term, a wall-mounted 7.4-22 kW wallbox is always a better solution.

The safety of the installation depends on the electrical wiring as much as on the device itself. An independent residual current device (RCD) is mandatory for each charging unit; according to standards, at least a 30 mA Type A RCD is required, while for protection against DC leakage currents, a Type B RCD or a Type A/F used together with RCD-DD is used. Grounding resistance should be kept at ≤5 ohms for AC units and ≤3 ohms for DC stations. Another frequently asked question is whether charging is safe in the rain: with IP54/IP65 protection class, socket locking, and solid grounding, the answer is yes.

What about street and municipal charging units?

The most promising development for drivers who park on the street is municipalities entering the charging infrastructure directly. Concrete examples are now visible: one provincial municipality is operating a total of 17 stations of 22 kW at 9 locations in the city center; a metropolitan district brought units into service at 10 different locations; in Istanbul, a municipality is running a solar-powered charging station project; another metropolitan city is establishing an economical and accessible charging service through its own energy company. The number of public stations had exceeded 8,000 by the end of 2023; according to projections, it is expected to reach 118-122 thousand by 2032. Türkiye is also being cited as one of Europe's fastest-growing "second wave" EV markets. International comparison is also instructive: on-street residential charging is the fastest-growing solution worldwide for drivers without private parking. So the lack of a garage is not a vicious cycle unique to Türkiye; the direction of the solution is globally evolving toward street infrastructure.

Is charging infrastructure mandatory in new buildings?

Yes, but only for new constructions. According to the Parking Regulation, which came into force with the 2021 update, new buildings with 20 or more mandatory parking spaces must install at least 1 charging unit, and at least

5% of the parking spaces must be prepared with infrastructure suitable for electric vehicles. There is no such obligation for existing buildings; this means that in today's apartment buildings the solution still depends on management participation. With the new regulation, the ability to install 1 shared consumption charging installation per block also encourages new projects to design the infrastructure this way from the start. There is also a concrete model for how residents' associations can fill this role: a shared charging area established with 50%+1 approval can become an additional source of income for the site. For example, charging 20 kWh per day at 5 TL per kilowatt-hour yields approximately

3,000 TL per month. 20 kWh charging, at a rate of per kilowatt-hour 5 TL approximately per month 3,000 TL generates income; half of it goes to the electricity bill. Research also indicates that a 3-5% increase in the value of apartments with charging stations is possible. Non-commercial stations open for use by property owners also do not require a charging network operator license under EMRA regulations; meaning no legal obstacle remains.

How can a realistic weekly charging plan be set up for those parking on the street?

The strongest asset of a driver without a garage is fitting charging into their daily routine. Working models are as follows:

Combine mall and parking lot charging with shopping. Stations in mall parking lots are one of the most efficient ways to charge without splitting your time; drivers who charge are 40% more likely to shop in the same place. Align your weekly grocery trip with a charging session.
Put the workplace in place of overnight charging. Abroad, the "charge at work" model is a long-term but working solution; hotels, malls, and business centers also gain customer loyalty and extra income with charging points. Suggesting a small AC unit to your employer is often met more easily than expected.
Schedule night charging. If you can find an accessible AC unit, a charge starting at 22:00 ends between 01:00-02:00; going above 80% is not necessary for city use and is also not preferred for battery health.
Make the portable charger a backup plan. Charging without a wallbox or three-phase power is possible; it is suitable for tenants and emergencies, but it is slow. Carry it as a safety net, not as the main solution.
Take queuing and etiquette rules into account. Queues can form at public stations on weekends and holidays; unplugging when your charge is complete saves time for both you and others.

Also add winter conditions to the plan: Below -10 °C a loss of 20-30% in range can occur. Pre-trip heating (preconditioning) and, if possible, indoor parking reduce this loss; a garage-less driver parking outdoors must set their winter range budget accordingly.

Conclusion: there is a single right plan for your situation

The summary of charging without a garage lies in your answers to three questions. If you have a deeded parking space, the installation path is short; if no infrastructure renewal is needed, you can proceed even without a building permit. If you have a share in a shared parking area, the solution passes through management and 50%+1 approval; in three distribution regions the application is now handled by the management, so talking to your neighbors early saves time. If you have no enclosed space at all, your plan becomes a combination of municipal and shopping mall charging points, a workplace solution, and low-cost overnight sessions. The only wrong plan is chasing a public DC station every night without asking the question "what suits my situation"; the right approach is to aim for a permanent AC solution and keep fast charging as an exception.