How to choose the right EV hardware

Ahead of?elemental’s digital festival?on integrated EV solutions, we spoke to Alex Hinchcliffe ,?Sales Director – Public Charging –?at Mer , about choosing the right EV hardware for your project.

Firstly, what do we mean by ‘EV charging hardware’?

EV charging hardware typically refers to the actual charging unit itself – the interface between the grid and the car. That could include the tethered connection or the socket as well. There are many different types, depending on what the end user would require for the most optimal charge for their vehicle.

What types of EV charging hardware are available currently?

There is domestic charging, which is typically a 7kW or 7.2kW charger, which is designed to charge a vehicle primarily overnight in an 8-12 hour charging window, when the car is parked, and historically, when there has been a slightly better time-of-use tariff. This type of charging is alternating current (AC) charging, which comes directly from the grid and needs to be converted into direct current (DC) to go into the battery of the car. The AC charging hardware can provide from 3.5kW up to approx. 22kW generally, although most cars can only accept around 7 to 11kW of AC charging. Other environments for that type of hardware include workplace and park-and-ride destinations.

When you need to charge the vehicle a little more quickly, you would use DC hardware, which has the inverter built into the charging technology. DC charging tends to start from around 25kW, where you would anticipate a fairly full charge for most vehicles in about 90 minutes. There is a high volume of 50kW chargers. More recently, the technologies around the speed of charging have improved dramatically and charging infrastructure is available up to 350kW now, though there are not really any passenger vehicles that can accept that speed of charge.

Why should commercial landowners be developing EV charging on their sites now?

The transition is happening now. If you look at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ data, it shows that EVs are on the up and up, particularly for battery electric vehicles. As a business, we are seeing the utilisation we predicted at a higher performing environment is already exceeding our 2024 expectations today.

In addition, it is entirely possible that we could anticipate grid constraints. It makes sense to investigate what your options are around available power in your environment now. Give some thought to the fact that grid constraints could mean that if you leave it too late you might not be able to install what you want to install.

What key factors should commercial landlords consider when selecting their EV hardware?

There are a number of factors commercial landlords should give consideration to.

Do they want their charging to be available publicly or privately? If they want to privately own their chargers, the budget and how much they are willing to spend on hardware and infrastructure will determine what is affordable. Connecting to the existing supply and using more cost-effective AC charging hardware is more palatable depending on budget, but if they are looking for a high through-put and a speedy return, this is not the right solution.

What is the likely dwell time of the target audience? Sometimes a commercial landlord might be looking to keep people in their location for longer, in which case they would not necessarily put forward the most effective and efficient hardware. A theme park owner, for example, might not want to put in high-power charging where the vehicle driver would be forced to come back out and move the vehicle once it is charged; for convenience, it may be better to put in infrastructure that takes longer to charge depending on how long somebody wants to stay at that destination. Whereas, for roadside retail or forecourt operators who are trying to mimic the existing fuelling habits of today’s drivers that stop to re-fuel as quickly as possible, the fastest possible charging speed to encourage more users more often would be the route to take. Rapid and ultra-rapid charging for en route driving is always the best option.

Does the charge point operator have the right sustainability credentials to support your ESG commitments as a commercial landowner? Some businesses are in this market to capitalise on the emerging sector purely from a financial gain perspective, whereas other businesses have the more sustainable agenda in mind and look for contracts and partnerships with businesses who drive the sustainability agenda, in particular around the energy itself.

Landlords should also consider not necessarily just going to the highest bidder who will offer the most chargers and the most money, on the basis that they could end up with stranded assets that are not used if they over provide and put too much infrastructure in too quickly. They are also limiting themselves on the number of parking spaces for non-EV customers. The choice should be around organic growth and getting the right number of spaces at the right time, somewhat to encourage the transition but trying wherever possible not to over install.

Finally, choose the right partner for you. Consider what variable product mix they can offer in terms of hardware and software, whether they can link you to the right partners, whether people can find your assets, and whether they have different payment platforms. Landlords should make sure their partner provides them with all the right facilities to make their environment as customer-centric as possible.

How does Mer help commercial landlords choose the right EV charging solution?

We provide bespoke solutions, rather than ‘one size fits all’ solutions. We assess the environment, look at the local demography, the number of registered vehicle users in the area, the traffic count and the competition information, and assess the grid availability in terms of power. We then make a recommendation based on today’s scenario and the likely scenario within the next 3-5 years. We offer a very consultative approach, which involves engagement from the customer, and match that with the external environment information around what the best fit solution would be.

If you are looking for independent, consultative advice around what your options might be with no obligations, we would be happy to support with that.

Alex Hinchcliffe is speaking on a panel as part of elemental’s digital festival on integrated EV solutions on 27th September, alongside

• Dr Darren Handley , Head of Infrastructure Grants, OZEV, Department for Transport
• Shamala Gadgil MSc, MTICE, FCIHT, FIHE, PWI, IOSH,PMI , Senior Programme/Project Manager, Coventry City Council
• Melanie Shufflebotham , Co-founder and COO, Zapmap

Register for your FREE space here:?crowdcast.io/e/installing-ev-charging