2 February, 2024

Overcoming Challenges in Commercial EV Charger Installation

The transition to EVs backed by governmental incentives has put heightened pressure on commercial businesses to install EV charge points on their premises. Providing these services to employees and customers not only supports this sustainable initiative but offers businesses several opportunities, both financial and brand image and culture-related. Despite these various benefits, EV charger installation can come with numerous challenges. In this blog post, we will explain some of the common challenges faced in commercial EV charger installation and ways that eFaraday can help address these issues, providing solutions for your business to ensure your commercial EV charging stations operate smoothly.

Current State of Commercial EV Chargers

The EV charging landscape is rapidly changing with more and more numbers of businesses across the world incorporating EV chargers into their facilities. Within the last year, there was an increase of over 52% of workplace chargers installed across the UK. However, 52% of EV drivers say they do not have charging stations available to them in the workplace, showing a demand for the installation of these commercial charge points. 

Commercial EV charge points are available for public use, in the workplace for employees’ electric vehicles, in fleet services, car dealerships and more. These charging stations allow businesses to enhance their corporate reputation by supporting this sustainable transition whilst also drawing in new customers with these commercial charge points.

Common Challenges in Commercial EV Charger Installation

The installation of commercial EV chargers can come with a range of challenges that your business should be aware of before installing these charging stations. 

Infrastructure Limitations

Challenge

A common challenge faced by businesses looking to install commercial charge points is space and infrastructure constraints. The installation of high-power EV chargers like rapid or Level 3 chargers needs suitable electrical infrastructure that is often not readily available in rural or sparse locations. 

Solution

Upgrades to infrastructure are possible but it requires close collaboration with utility companies and local councils and governments to ensure thorough site inspections are carried out before any work is done. Thorough planning, looking at the strategic placement of charge points is key to finding areas with greater levels of electrical capacity. At eFaraday, we can help you optimise your commercial charge point placement and layout. 

Regulations 

It is vital that when looking to install commercial charge points into your business, you abide by all regulations in place. As of 2022, the UK Government set out strict regulations regarding commercial EV charge points. All charging stations must have:

• Smart functionality 
• Electrical supplier interoperability – this allows for smart functioning to continue regardless of supplier changes
• A measuring system
• Cybersecurity standard safety requirements 

Finance 

Commercial EV chargers can come at a significant cost, proving a potential challenge for many businesses in their transition to electric. However, there are several financing options available such as leasing and grants to help find ways through these significant costs. 

Leasing 

The upfront costs associated with EV charge points can prove daunting for businesses and act as a barrier to their installation. At eFaraday, we want to make charge points as accessible as possible which is why we offer leasing opportunities through trusted third-party lenders to avoid upfront costs for your business. Alongside this, we offer a range of payment options, from weekly to quarterly as well as tenures of 1 to 5 years. 

Grants 

Governmental schemes are a great way to avoid the financial impact that commercial EV charge point installations can have on businesses. 

Workplace Charging Scheme

The Workplace Charging Scheme provides eligible businesses financial support with up to 75% of the upfront costs of the purchase and installation of EV charge points. With this grant ending on the 31st of March 2024, now is a better time than ever to take advantage of it. 

EV Infrastructure Grant for Staff and Fleets

This government grant supports small and medium-sized businesses with the finances involved in the wider building and installation of multiple charge point sockets. Similar to other OSEV grants it can offer funding of up to 75% of the costs of work, up to £15,000. 

Demand Management & Controlled Usage

Demand management for commercial EV charging stations refers to how charging load can be managed to maintain efficient resource usage whilst also mitigating any potential strain that charging could have on the electricity grid. This management tool goes hand in hand with controlled charger usage, a tool used to control how much electricity each charging station receives when multiple EVs are connected to the same circuit – a situation that has the potential to occur often in a commercial setting. This management service is part of the inCharge service that we offer here at eFaraday. 

Maintenance

Upkeeping proper maintenance on your commercial EV charge points is key to preventing unexpected outages, and ensuring that charging stations are always readily available for staff and customer use. Remote diagnostics and around-the-clock monitoring are great ways to ensure your charging stations remain fully functional, a service we offer here at eFaraday through our 24/7 remote management and maintenance services. 

ROI

Investing in EV charge points for your business can at first, seem like a significant financial investment, sometimes with steep upfront costs and maintenance costs. However, it is important to consider the ways this can be offset. In reality, commercial EV charge points can prove a great revenue scheme resulting in high ROI. There are several revenue streams that can come from these stations including: 

• Charging fees
• Advertising revenue 
• Increased footfall

Previously Installed Charge Points

If you’re looking to install new charge points but have existing infrastructure in place it can be difficult to see how this can end up in one seamless charging experience. Different charge points often also mean individual specifications and communication tools, in these cases, it is important to have management systems in place to ensure operations run smoothly and cohesively.

Misuse & Damage

Unfortunately, accidents can happen and challenges can arise over misuse and damage of commercial charge points. It is important to factor this into the costs that the commercial charge point system will incur. However, with a comprehensive management system, such as the inCharge system we offer at eFaraday, maintenance costs will be covered to a certain extent, allowing for engineer callouts and ongoing maintenance. 

Scaling for the Future 

Given the ever-growing demand for sustainability initiatives and EV usage, anticipating future growth of this area of your business is an important factor to consider when looking to install commercial charge point systems. At eFaraday, we will work alongside you to come up with an EV strategy plan that is suitable for now and future growth, allowing for full scalability.

How Much Do Commercial EV Chargers Cost?

Commercial EV chargers vary in cost significantly, often this can be between £1,000 – £1,500 + VAT per charge point. However, this depends on station types, power outputs, grant eligibility and many other factors. To get an accurate quote of how much it will cost your business, we recommend getting in touch and speaking to a member of our team. 

Commercial EV Charger Installation with eFaraday

If you choose to partner with us at eFaraday for your commercial EV charger installation we can assure you of the following: 

• An easy transition to the electric industry
• We will work alongside you to find a unique EV plan 
• Support in your long-term EV charging journey 
• Up and running charge points thanks to our 24/7 managed services package 

To start your transition to a commercial EV charging future, get in touch today to speak with a member of our team.