A common question we encounter is what are charging station installation cost? For the past few weeks we’ve been trying to answer just that.
We’ve been looking at different charging station solutions for fleet customers. First, we looked at a carpet cleaning business that wanted to install ten level 2 charger. Then, we looked at an AC business that was installing ten DC fast charging. And finally, a plumbing business that was using opportunity charging and installing ten level 2 chargers and one DC fast charger.
If you haven’t read those use cases yet, I highly recommend it. In each use case there is a good breakdown of how to find your ideal vehicle and how to figure out what chargers you actually need.
Now let’s recap what we’ve learned about the estimated costs of installing infrastructure.
What are Charging Station Installation Cost for Fleets
Cost to Install Electric Car Charger
The cost to install an electric car charger varies on the amount of kW the charger is able to output. The higher the kW output, the higher the cost of the charger. Obviously, there is some cost differences between brands as well.
Level 1 chargers are the least expensive, they usually come with the purchase of a car. But this is not a real option for fleet operators.
Level 2 chargers are going to be the next highest in cost. And an 8 kW charger is going to be cheaper, but takes longer to charge than a 19 kW charger. They normally cost between $600 and $10,000.
DC fast chargers are going to be more expensive, but also charge the fastest. There’s a big difference in prices between a 63 kW charger and a 375 kW charger. They normally cost between $30,000 to $150,000.
So right here, you can see that the type of charger you choose to install can have a big impact on the price of installation.
EV Charger Installation Cost
There is a lot that goes into the installation of chargers and we’ve laid that out in a couple of different posts to date. Also, each use case breaks down the estimated total cost to install chargers.
Let’s get into the estimated cost for each of those use cases.
$68,300 – for 10 level 2 chargers the estimated cost to purchase and install chargers.
$1,023,400 – for 10 DC fast chargers, the estimated cost to purchase and install chargers.
$210,300 – for 10 level 2 chargers, and 1 DC fast charger, the estimated cost to purchase and install chargers.
Here you can see that the EV charging station installation costs can be wildly different depending on how many chargers you are installing and what type of chargers those are.
Using Opportunity Charging Can Save You Money
Most people think DC fast charging is the way to go. They have probably been told that faster charging will mean that your vehicle is always ready when you need it.
This is true, obviously, but it’s not always necessary. This is why in each of the use case scenarios we broke down how the vehicle will be used and dwell time.
Most vehicles are not used 24 hours a day. They might be parked overnight at a safe location and then level 2 chargers are more than effective. There will be plenty of time for the vehicle to charge before it needs to be used the next day.
But you may be asking, what if I need to travel more miles than the range can handle. Or if some vehicles need to be used overnight too. This is where opportunity charging comes in.
Opportunity charging is when you use regularly scheduled breaks or down time to charge a vehicle. So instead of purchasing all DC fast chargers, you could purchase a few DC fast chargers and stagger when vehicles are charged.
This allows them to be fully charged when needed, but also saves money on installation costs. This can also extend range. Since you can ‘top up’ midday at the facility and then go back on the road.
How Much Does a Commercial EV Charging Station Cost
Commercial EV charging stations can be costly, but it doesn’t have to be in the million dollar range. You need to know how you use your vehicle. Maybe even small changes can help to save money on installation costs.
