Fast or normal charging for property owners?
The discussions about electric car charging have come to be largely about fast charging in public settings. But in fact, it is when the cars are stationary that they are most often charged - for example, at home or at work. In other words, we should put more focus on discussing how we can strengthen the charging infrastructure in parking lots because it is both more cost effective and useful.
Oskar Ekman is our Head of Product and specialist in electric car charging. He has over 5 years of experience in digital product development for companies, including from the Fortu-owned software company Charge&Drive.
We sat down with Oskar to talk about electric car charging and how property owners can think about it in their properties.
In general, one should strive to have as many charging points as possible with lower power, for example 3.7kW.
— Oskar Ekman
What is the difference between fast and normal charging?
The real difference is the effect. Fast charging has higher power and can charge a car quickly. The normal charge has lower power and takes longer to charge a car. It is precisely the charging time that is the big topic of discussion when it comes to electric car charging. When we compare electric car charging with fossil fuel refueling, electric car charging is the slower option. But that comparison is misleading because fueling with fossil fuels requires you to perform the refueling yourself, by both moving the car to a gas station and physically filling the tank with fuel. Electric car charging does not require your physical presence.
Since, on average, a car is stationary 95% of the time, it is most logical that it is charged while it is stationary. With that type of charge, normal charging, there is not as much power needed because the charge can take longer. For parking garages, this means an opportunity to offer more charging points because the power is enough for more.
Most journeys made by passenger cars are relatively short - the average journey in Sweden by car is 2.5 miles easy way per day! This means that an electric car can most of the time be charged when it is parked. In other words, the time it takes to charge the car is not a decisive factor in most cases. Then, of course, there are times when you are going to travel so far that you have to charge on the road, then time is a direct determining factor. In those cases, the fast charge is crucial and will be needed for longer journeys by electric cars to work.
Should property owners go for fast charging or normal charging?
Charging their electric car in direct connection with the parking lot will, most likely, be normal for electric car owners. This means that property owners are the natural player in making charging infrastructure available to their tenants. Furthermore, the business opportunity is close at hand as there is already a deal to build on - the parking deal.
In a parking garage, it is the smartest thing to invest in normal charging. There are several good reasons for that. The investment cost of normal charging (3.7—7,2kW) is markedly much lower than that of fast charging. In addition, it is possible to offer more charging points with normal charging as each charger requires less of the total power available in the property.
What is the kW range of a normal charger?
In general, one should strive to have as many charging points as possible with lower power, for example 3.7kW. In workplaces and home charging, you can expect that the cars will stand for quite a long time and then a fairly low power is needed to be enough for the daily requirement.
For example, for pool cars or different types of delivery vehicles, a slightly higher power is required because they are used more often. For example, the charging points can provide a power of 7.2 kW.
Can the same charging box be used for both 3.7 and 7.2 kW?
Ja! The great thing about normal chargers is that you can adjust a charging box power between 3.7—7.2 kW directly via a Parking Management System. It allows property owners to create different zones in the parking garage with different effect, zones that can additionally be customized as needed.
Should the property owners themselves offer the full charging service to the tenants?
Yes, indeed! They already have the tenants and the parking spaces. All that is needed is the hardware in the form of charging boxes and a system that can handle the administration, both for the property owner and the tenant.
In many parking garages, the electric car charging is a separate service from the parking lot. This means that the tenant has to pay for the parking to one operator and for the electric car charging to another. By integrating the electric car charging into the existing lease agreement, it will be much easier for tenants to use the electric car charger.
Right now, electric car charging is a very demanded service that not many people have. Once electric cars are normalized, however, it will be a hygiene factor. For the sake of the long term, property owners should make sure to check the entire deal themselves. Both to take advantage of the business opportunity but also because it is something that is so closely connected with parking.
By integrating the electric car charging into the existing lease agreement, it will be much easier for tenants to use the electric car charger.
— Oskar Ekman
What is the most important thing to consider if you, as a property owner, want to offer electric car charging?
The first thing to consider is purely electrical engineering. What are the opportunities in the property? It is a good idea to hire an expert to help with design, hardware and installation. For example, all consumption in the property must be balanced and in the future it may be time for solar cells on the roof.
When the electrical engineering is under control, it is time to look at the business opportunity; how do you service the parking spaces and how can you, as a property owner, offer the services yourself, without a third party? The solution is called digitized parking management.
In order to offer different types of services to tenants, there needs to be a system in the background that can handle the complexity. For example, contract management, queue management, invoicing, dynamic parking spaces and more must be done largely automatically so that the property owner does not have to administer each part manually.
Since the technology is still relatively new, it is important to have a electric car charging system which is hardware independent. The system should be able to communicate with all kinds of hardware from different suppliers that are certified and comply with OCPP standards.
For the convenience of the tenant, it is important that all services and administration are available in one place. To our Parking Management System, Park46, for example, we have an app that all tenants use, where they can quickly and easily access everything they need including being able to start and stop their charge.
To sum it all up:
- Ensure the electrical engineering in the property
- Take control of the business
- Thinking long term
- Ensure that you can use different hardware manufacturers in your Parking Management System
- Ensure that it is easy for tenants to use and pay for services
Would you like to offer electric car charging in your parking garage?
We help you take control of your EV charging and integrate it into your parking business — on your terms. Let us show you how to get started!
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