Car Park Electric Vehicle Charging
Discussion
We have a car park (Parish Council) and wanting to install a electric vehicle charging point. We could easily have one installed with a company who will do everything however we would like to make a little bit of money out of people using it.
Can anyone recommend a company that might help us out?
Thanks.
Can anyone recommend a company that might help us out?
Thanks.
You can get a rebate from the govt using an approved installer who will sort everything for you.
You'll need back office software to control the charging points and set your own tariff. Users find the point with an app and pay before charging.
Rolec/ vendelectric kit was reasonable cost was about £3k for a twin 7.2kw outlet installed less the rebate back.
You'll need back office software to control the charging points and set your own tariff. Users find the point with an app and pay before charging.
Rolec/ vendelectric kit was reasonable cost was about £3k for a twin 7.2kw outlet installed less the rebate back.
JonChalk said:
Simpo Two said:
jinkster said:
We have a car park (Parish Council) and wanting to install a electric vehicle charging point.
Is there actually public demand for one?Probably depends on the type of car park/destination, I e. How long cars generally stay for, as to how popular it will be.
There is one at my local shops (about 6 shops) but it never gets used because people only go there to use the shops, in and out in 5 mins. Plus it is often blocked by non EVs. Complete waste of time, unless you live next to it and can't charge at home.
Whereas chargers where you'll be staying for more than 30 mins are quite popular.
There is one at my local shops (about 6 shops) but it never gets used because people only go there to use the shops, in and out in 5 mins. Plus it is often blocked by non EVs. Complete waste of time, unless you live next to it and can't charge at home.
Whereas chargers where you'll be staying for more than 30 mins are quite popular.
jinkster said:
Hello all, We live in a Peak District village so the car park is very popular. Mainly on street parking too so will be used by residents and holiday cottages. Getting block by none EV will be a problem for sure and difficult to police.
I would leave it as it; there seems to be high demand for normal cars, which are in the vast majority, so all you'll do is effectively lose a parking space and force one more car into the street.If you've got money to burn, spend it on something that will benefit more people.
Simpo Two said:
I would leave it as it; there seems to be high demand for normal cars, which are in the vast majority, so all you'll do is effectively lose a parking space and force one more car into the street.
If you've got money to burn, spend it on something that will benefit more people.
True, but its planning for the future though. There's only going to be more EVs on the roads. There's bound to be a few EVs interested in using it at some point. The main problem will be enforcing the non EVs blocking. Once a charge site gets a bad reputation for not working/being blocked etc it puts people off from heading there to use it if they absolutely need some charge as most EV drivers plan their routes and charge stops ahead of time. If the car park is mostly used by locals this may not be a problem.If you've got money to burn, spend it on something that will benefit more people.
If you're going to do it, make it future proof / expandable so it can cope with fast charging and lay some extra cable so more chargers can be added in the future if needed. Digging up once is cheaper in the long run.
Also take a look at the local area and see what other chargers are around (zapmap). If yours would be the only one for miles around, it may attract people to it, purely to top up if they're running low.
Have you consulted the local community to see what they think of the idea? That might tell you all you need to know.
200Plus Club said:
There are 3 supercharger stations outside old Trafford that will fully recharge a Tesla while you are watching the game and have a quick drink after. Finally a good use of EV lol.
One of our company Tesla’s used one in Leeds yesterday. They charge at 502 mph. That’s serious charging !!!jinkster said:
we would like to make a little bit of money out of people using it.
You won't, for several reasons.You will just end up with an empty car park space, or more likely a charging point space with ICE cars parking there annoying the very few people who actually want to charge or alternatively EV/PHEV users parking there as it is 'my' space and not charging.
EV users use public charging points for three reasons -
1. If the charging point is free, because lots are tight.
2. They are going on a long journey beyond the range of the car
3. They don't have home charging.
The first option is ruled out as you want to charge, and more so, you actually want to make money. Unless you are aiming for local users then the third option is out, and even then if you are charging high prices then local users will avoid you.
That leaves the second option. Installing the usual 7kW charger is pointless for that purpose because it won't deliver sufficient charge in the timespan that most visitors will be parking there, so you would need to go with a more expensive higher power charger that will go unused for most of the time. Also with the second option you will be up against the rapidly increasing range of EVs - if someone has a range of 200-300 miles will they need to charge at your point?
My local (useless) council has installed a couple of 7kW EV charging points in each of its various car parks across town over the last couple of weeks. Has anyone used them - no, for a whole variety of reasons, so the installation costs have been spaffed against the wall.
It is not a 'destination' town so there are damn all visitors who need a destination charger, and those who do won't stay for long enough for a 7kW charger to make a difference.
You still have to pay for the car park as well as pay for the charging, and most people don't park in the car parks but use the free on street parking.
The charging has been set at 29 pence / kWh, so at least double if you had a home charger or six times if you were using cheap rate electricity.
And if you were desperate for a charge as a visitor or a local with no home charger, there is a Tesco half a mile away from the town centre that has four 7 kW chargers free to use with no time limit on parking.
brickwall said:
Ok different use case but of interest.
I’m on the residents board of my block. c50 flats in the block, and everyone has their own space in the car park out front (plus 2 visitor spaces).
What might be a sensible way of installing a charge point at minimal cost and with some way of individuals paying for what they use? I can imagine it won’t be long before residents or prospective buyers start asking about charging their electric car, and I’d like to get ahead of the game.
'minimal cost' and installing EV charging points are not words that appear in the same sentence, with installers charging whatever exorbitant price they can get away with and all supplemented by the pointless grant if it applies.I’m on the residents board of my block. c50 flats in the block, and everyone has their own space in the car park out front (plus 2 visitor spaces).
What might be a sensible way of installing a charge point at minimal cost and with some way of individuals paying for what they use? I can imagine it won’t be long before residents or prospective buyers start asking about charging their electric car, and I’d like to get ahead of the game.
If you are installing *a* charge point (singular) then presumably you need to install it in the visitors space unless you have some ingenious plan about how to get someone to give up their space.
Then stand back for the arguments that you have reduced the visitors spaces by 50%. That the charging point has been blocked by a visitor to a resident who doesn't accept it has been redesignated.
And that is before you get to the issue of who is going to manage the rota of who gets access to the charging space on which days and times - "I know I booked Tuesday but I am going to visit aunt Doris tomorrow so I need to charge tonight".
If residents want a charging point to *their* space then sure agree to that - but make it clear they are paying for all the costs and as those will run to thousands they will suddenly decide not to.
brickwall said:
Thanks. You’re right that putting one charger in the visitors space opens up a host of problems. (We have enough problems as it is with visitors spaces being used for residents’ second cars etc.)
More than happy for residents to pay for charge point installation - after all they pay for the service charges anyway. However it wouldn’t make sense (from a cost or disruption standpoint) for the car park to be dug up 50 times over the next 20 years to install 50 different types of charger etc.
A lot of the spaces are in a long row along a fence - ideal would be running one massive cable along that fence with charging points between every over spot (so each point serves 2 spaces), then maybe some kind of card/tag system for cost apportionment.
You’re right that sounds expensive...maybe kick the can down the road another 5 years....
That is going to be one massively thick cable if you want to be able to supply a large number of charge points all delivering 7kW at the same time - and it will be the same time as that is when the cheap electricity is available. So 20 cars charging - what thickness is needed to deliver 150kW?More than happy for residents to pay for charge point installation - after all they pay for the service charges anyway. However it wouldn’t make sense (from a cost or disruption standpoint) for the car park to be dug up 50 times over the next 20 years to install 50 different types of charger etc.
A lot of the spaces are in a long row along a fence - ideal would be running one massive cable along that fence with charging points between every over spot (so each point serves 2 spaces), then maybe some kind of card/tag system for cost apportionment.
You’re right that sounds expensive...maybe kick the can down the road another 5 years....
And what about the spaces not along the fence? Guaranteed that someone with one of those spaces will get an EV and won’t be happy if they can’t get a charger like everyone else.
As for digging up the car park multiple times - it won’t happen. As soon as someone gets the £10,000 to £20,000 quote they will change their mind and find a public charger instead, so it won’t be dug up once let alone fifty times.
When you do any civils you'd put a cable duct in once with a draw wire left in place for future expansion to avoid digging it up again. So you could do one point if you wished and still come back in future
It's still expensive just for one point and you won't make money from just the one. The software on all the modern chargers allows people to pay by apps or rfid tags or by unique passcodes that admin function control.
If you want to install a cheap and cheerful plain charger then a local certified sparky will put you one in for free vending. All of the problems have already been listed however so I wouldn't go rushing to do anything till everyone is electric almost !
It's still expensive just for one point and you won't make money from just the one. The software on all the modern chargers allows people to pay by apps or rfid tags or by unique passcodes that admin function control.
If you want to install a cheap and cheerful plain charger then a local certified sparky will put you one in for free vending. All of the problems have already been listed however so I wouldn't go rushing to do anything till everyone is electric almost !
jinkster said:
We have a car park (Parish Council) and wanting to install a electric vehicle charging point. We could easily have one installed with a company who will do everything however we would like to make a little bit of money out of people using it.
Can anyone recommend a company that might help us out?
Thanks.
As someone from the industry I can tell you...Can anyone recommend a company that might help us out?
Thanks.
A lot of chargers have back end systems to allow you to charge whatever prices for charging that you decide. People need the relevant App and they then just tap their phone on the charger to activate it. Once finished it charges them via the App and the money is then returned to you via the manufacturer, minus a payment processing fee.
I assume it's a destination charger and not a rapid charger you want to install.
I can't advise with the payment side of things.
I've heard comments that Instavolt will install a rapid charger for free, I don't know if this is true or not. It would probably mean you would get nothing from it in terms of revenue though.
Podpoint seem to get installed in situations like yours, but please make sure the electricity is priced correctly.
Some are extortionate and will never get used because of this.
Also paint the parking spots green to highlight their intended use and if possible towards the rear of the carpark to discourage ICEing.
Put in a post which will charge at 2 cars at the same time.
I can't advise with the payment side of things.
I've heard comments that Instavolt will install a rapid charger for free, I don't know if this is true or not. It would probably mean you would get nothing from it in terms of revenue though.
Podpoint seem to get installed in situations like yours, but please make sure the electricity is priced correctly.
Some are extortionate and will never get used because of this.
Also paint the parking spots green to highlight their intended use and if possible towards the rear of the carpark to discourage ICEing.
Put in a post which will charge at 2 cars at the same time.
Gassing Station | Business | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff