Right-sizing EV charging: how many chargers?

Match provision to dwell time

The right number of chargers depends less on how many EVs visit and more on how long they stay. A commuter car park with all-day dwell needs fewer, slower chargers than a retail site with quick turnover.

Start from your own occupancy and payment data, not a generic ratio — the site tells you what it needs.

• Base provision on real dwell time, not visitor headcount
• Long-dwell sites suit more slow chargers; short-dwell sites suit fewer fast ones
• Use existing occupancy data as the starting point

Fast versus slow, and the right mix

Fast chargers serve short stays and top-ups but cost more and draw heavily on the supply. Slow chargers are cheaper, kinder to the grid and ideal where cars sit for hours. Most sites want a blend rather than one type.

The mix also shapes your power planning: a wall of fast chargers can force a grid upgrade that a slower blend avoids.

• Fast chargers for short stays and higher turnover
• Slow chargers where vehicles dwell for hours
• Blend the two to balance cost, demand and grid load

Phase the rollout

You rarely need the final count on day one. Install a first tranche, watch how the bays are used, then add capacity where the data points. Pre-installing cable ducting and load headroom makes later phases cheap and quick.

Managing charging on the same platform as the rest of the site means each phase is measured, so the next is a decision rather than a guess.