Calculating the number of chargepoints needed: Businesses need to look at the number of EVs the business fleet currently operates, as well as the number of employees who may want to charge their own vehicles. Undertaking an employee survey to understand key information, such as distance from the office, access to a home-charger or other close-to-home charging solutions, and the length of time spent at the office will all help. 

Understanding load capacity: It’s crucial to assess electrical volume, to ensure the site has sufficient capacity to manage the additional load of EV chargepoints. To do this, businesses need to understand the size of the grid connection and electricity supply to the site, as well as the power demand from current business activity. They will also need to assess the potential smart charging and load balancing strategies that can be implemented. 

Determining power requirements: Different vehicles often have different power requirements. For example, commercial vehicles sometimes need a faster, higher voltage charge (DC charging from 50kW to 350kW) to keep them on the road and avoid downtime during shifts. Whereas for everyday employee charging needs, where vehicles typically sit stationary for the whole working day at the office, or where company vehicles often sit onsite overnight, AC charging at a lower voltage, typically 7kW, 11kW or 22W, is often sufficient.

Identifying the right charging equipment: Tethered or untethered? The answer to that question will depend on how the chargers are being used. For those charging cars for commuting, untethered, universal sockets are often the norm – as employees will often carry a charging cable in their car. However, for depot charging, or to charge vehicles that are on the go, tethered charging may be more suitable, as it avoids the risk of misplaced cables, preventing delays to vehicle charging.

Once a business has determined the type and number of chargers required, it’s also important to consider how these will be maintained on an ongoing basis to maximise their performance. To do this, organisations can incorporate a chargepoint management system (CPMS) as part of the installation. A CPMS can monitor the condition of each charger, its current state and the organisation’s energy use. The management system will also give a holistic view of charging behaviour, control overall charger access, and enable organisations to set a tariff matrix. These factors could include the time of day, type of vehicle, energy demand, or duration of the charging session. The tariff matrix helps manage costs and optimise the use of charging by encouraging efficient charging behaviours.  

Additionally, having robust and well-defined SLAs with the charger manufacturer is critical to achieving a reliable and seamless workplace charging solution. This will ensure any potential issues with the chargers are dealt with efficiently.