As the U.S. electric vehicle market accelerates, multifamily housing is lagging behind—with only 5% of apartment complexes offering on-site EV charging despite growing demand. Enter 3V Infrastructure, a New York–based startup that’s flipping the script on who pays for EV infrastructure in rental housing.

Instead of charging property owners, 3V is self-financing EV charger installations at apartment buildings and condominiums, relying on long-term user revenue to recoup its investment. Backed by $40 million from Greenbacker Capital Management, 3V has already partnered with major players like Camden Property Trust and Bridge Investment Group, rolling out chargers at hundreds of properties in 17 states—with plans to scale into the thousands by 2030.

3V's pitch is simple but ambitious: property owners pay nothing, sign a 10-year contract, and allow 3V to install and manage the chargers, which tenants then pay to use. Once profitable, 3V shares revenue with the property, creating mutual incentives to keep systems running smoothly.

It’s a bold bet in a space where early EV charging efforts have struggled with poor maintenance, technical failures in concrete garages, and lack of long-term service accountability. But with EVs projected to make up nearly 50% of new U.S. car sales by 2030, the need for convenient, reliable charging at home is rising fast.

3V’s model may be the clearest signal yet that EV charging is becoming a must-have amenity—and those who don’t offer it risk falling behind. As CBRE and SitelogIQ note, the biggest challenge now isn’t interest—it’s ensuring the charging experience works as promised. That’s the burden 3V is betting it can carry at scale.