Which Electric car charging station is best for your business

Which Electric car charging station is best for your business?

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One thing is clear: Electric mobility is the norm. There will be an estimated 130 million electric cars by 2030. Businesses around the globe are adapting to the new reality and are exploring commercial EV charging. There are many ways to do it. Some electrify their fleets to make them more sustainable. Others offer electric car charging station facilities for their employees who drive EVs. Still, others use the electric car charging stations to increase revenue or attract new customers.

Before investing in commercial EV charging stations, there are many things to think about. It’s easy for people to get confused or lost among the many types of EV charging stations. What should you do?

This article will help you understand the questions your business should ask to determine which EV charger and functionality best suits your needs.

EV charging solutions are available for all types of businesses, which is a good thing. How do you choose the right solution for your company? We’ve listed seven questions you should ask to help you put things into perspective.

1. How do you know which commercial electric car charging station is best for your business?

There are many chargers, just like the various EV models available. EV chargers can charge your vehicle with either AC or DC. They also have various innovative charging features and can be connected directly to intelligent charging management software.

The fastest, most advanced charging station may not be the best fit for your business. It’s essential to consider the needs and wants of your company before you look for the best EV charging station.

Create a future-proof strategy for your business

There are many ways to make EV charging work for you. Many businesses see EV charging as an incremental component of their future operations. Others view it as an innovative yet additional way to increase revenue and grow their business.

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2. How important is your commercial electric car charging station charger’s speed?

2. How important is your commercial electric car charging station charger's speed?

Charging an electric vehicle can take anywhere from 1-20 hours using AC charging and 7 minutes to 2 hours with DC charging. These stats may seem the fastest, but it is not always the case.

It would be best to choose the charging speed that best suits your business’ needs. These can vary greatly. Below are some examples of EV charging business models.

Workplace electric car charging station

Employees who drive EVs love being able to charge their cars while at work. It’s so convenient to drive to work, park, and then return home with a fully charged battery.

How important is charging speed?

An average workday of 8 hours is more than enough time to charge most vehicles with charging stations. In this instance, investing in Level 2 charging stations is more sensible than in fast-charging stations with high power that can charge vehicles in minutes.

Fleet electric car charging station

The priority for charging speed is higher if your fleet directly impacts your daily operations, such as last-mile delivery companies or transportation. To ensure that your vehicles are constantly moving, you want them to be charged quickly. Fast-charging stations are a great option to minimize vehicle downtime and prevent revenue loss. You can change this reasoning if your fleet can charge their batteries on one charge and can do so overnight.

Hospitality electric car charging station

Fine-dining restaurants and hotels are made for guests to relax and enjoy their time. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a fast charging speed for a hotel business. A guest who waits for their car to charge up might decide to have a second cup of coffee or stay for dessert.

Establishments could use fast-charging stations near high-way intersections or fast-food restaurants to draw customers who need to recharge their batteries while on the road. Fast-charging breaks can be a great way to grab a double cheeseburger or some fries before you hit the road again.

Retail electric car charging station

Big warehouses and shopping malls can reduce the time it takes for customers to spend there. Supermarkets and convenience stores may be able to attract customers with their fast top-offs while they shop weekly groceries.

These are only a few examples. However, it is essential to note that different commercial charging stations offer different speeds, and your business strategy should dictate which one you choose.

Are you interested in setting EV charging fees businesses are increasingly embracing EV charging stations to increase their revenue? You can think of your parking lot as a place for customers and visitors to park their cars while they visit your business. Electric mobility offers new opportunities for you to monetize this space and expand your business.

Businesses such as restaurants and hotels can offer to charge service or set lower rates and tariffs to increase their customers’ time at their establishment. That will allow them to have more upselling opportunities. You can also offer EV charging as a complimentary service. For example, charging at work can increase employee satisfaction and even attract talent.

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3. What will the future hold for your charging requirements?

Over the past few years, electric mobility has dramatically increased in popularity. EVs were rarer five years ago when an acquaintance or coworker drove one. Electric cars are now commonplace. Electric cars are everywhere.

Drivers’ needs will change as technology advances. A charging time that is acceptable today might be unacceptable in a few years. It is crucial to consider scalability as technological advances improve electric cars and their batteries.

Perhaps you can offer a slower charging speed but still have the flexibility to increase it. Perhaps you want one charger but are already thinking about where you will place additional charges.

4. Are you looking for a charging management system to manage your devices?

4. Are you looking for a charging management system to manage your devices?

Many businesses see EV charging stations simply as a tool. It is a piece of hardware you need to charge your electric car. However, most EV chargers are much more sophisticated than this. Your business can reap the benefits of connecting your stations with a software management system.

You can gain a unique insight into drivers’ charging habits, manage card and fee management, optimize energy efficiency, and reduce costs by optimizing energy efficiency. You will need an appropriate charging management system to connect your electric vehicle charging stations. While we have our charging stations, your company must choose a software and charging station that are OCPP-compliant.

What’s OCPP?

The Open Charge Point Protocol is an application protocol that allows communication between charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) and central management or charging station network. It’s similar to cell phones and can be used to communicate with other charging stations. Joury De Reuver and FrancBuve wrote the original version.

The Netherlands ELaadNL foundation created this protocol. It was created to allow EV charging stations and central managing systems from different vendors to exchange information. It is used by many vendors of EV charging stations worldwide.

Benefits

Charging station hosts or owners are less susceptible to the individual suppliers of charging stations. If a charging station manufacturer ceases to exist, the host can switch to another OCPP network. Market forces would encourage charging station operators and network providers to offer to charge station customers the flexibility and choice to use any network at any station. It would encourage them to compete on price, quality, innovation, and service. As the infrastructure for charging stations expands, this is a significant benefit to EV drivers.

Software that provides additional functionality will only need to be created once, and not multiple times, to work with each operating system. Lastly, OCPP will facilitate interoperability in the United States and other countries and reduce remedial work.

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OCPP Certification Process

Open Charge Alliance: OCA launched an independent OCPP certification process, where charging station management system providers (CSMS / back office) and manufacturers of charging points (EVSEs) can now confirm that they have implemented OCPP 1.6 according to the official OCPP specification.

This certification program will allow EVSE manufacturers & CSMS platforms to show their clients the status of their OCPP implementation clearly. It will also benefit the consumers of OCPP products without the need to validate and test the implementation.

Only OCPP 1.6 is currently certified and tested. OCPP versions older than OCPP 1.6 (such as OCPP 0.7 and OCPP 1.2) and OCPP 2.5 are not covered by the current OCPP certification program. Open Charge Alliance has established test procedures and test programs to verify certification compliance. Independent testing laboratories will perform the actual tests. To perform the actual tests, OCA has chosen three independent testing laboratories, DNVGL, KSGA, and Dekra. They are located in North America, Europe, and Asia.

The Device Under Test (DUT) must pass two tests to become OCPP certified.

  • Conformance tests: The DUTs are tested against the OCPP Compliance Test Tool. The certification tests should be flawless because the tool includes built-in validations. These validations allow the Toor to verify that the DUT has correctly implemented the OCPP specification.
  • Performance measurements: Several performance values of the DUT tested are measured to give an idea about how the device performs in a laboratory environment. The Protocol Implementation Conformance Statement (PICS) contains the performance parameters.

Why is the OCPP important?

Many companies that produce EV charging stations want their customers to be connected to their software. That is entirely logical. This arrangement is often beneficial for the customer and the manufacturer’s business. Hardware and software are designed to work together.

Buying hardware that is not compatible with the manufacturer’s software or vice versa will severely limit your options. What if your station is already connected to an existing system? Or what if the system you are looking to change to be more efficient in the future. While OCPP compliance doesn’t prohibit you from using the software provided by the manufacturer, it allows you to make changes as needed.

5. What are the restrictions and requirements of your particular location?

Once you have determined which type of EV charger station is best for your company and how many, it’s time to think about the limitations and possibilities of your area.

Depending on the circumstances, site owners or local authorities may need to be involved. It could include matters like permits and zoning. It doesn’t matter what type of charging station you are looking to install, and it’s a good idea to check with potential stakeholders to determine if they need to be involved. Get them involved early in the process to avoid additional delays or costs.

It’s best to consider each site as an individual project and map out specific requirements and possibilities.

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6. Are you eligible for government incentives?

There are incentives available to help your business set up an adequate charging infrastructure. To help increase EV charging infrastructure, the US offers rebates to assist businesses in investing in EV charging stations. In Europe, all countries have launched incentives. These benefits can make it attractive for businesses to invest in electric vehicle charging.

7. What happens after you have purchased?

Investing in EV charger stations can be a significant investment. It’s essential to think about what happens after you purchase. You expect your charging stations will be available at all times. To maximize the life span and protect your ROI (or increase it),

When you invest in charging stations, check the warranty and see if there are any extensions. There may be other ways to maximize the lifespan and performance of your charging stations. In some cases, charging station companies offer a complete maintenance plan. It’s worth checking to see if additional services are available, such as commissioning, support, and maintenance.

Businesses around the globe will adapt to electric mobility. It is good to find the best charging solution for your business if you are considering putting a commercial EV charging station shortly.

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Conclusion:

Electric Cars Tech hopes that these seven questions will help you better understand the EV charging options your company should have. We are trying our level best to provide you with the best information you are looking for.

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