Commercial EV Charger Installation
Public EV Chargers
Top Choice Electric has been installing electric vehicle (EV) charging stations since 2014. Electric mobility is here in a big way and EV charging is in short supply with high demand. Having EV chargers onsite is a great way to attract high-quality tenants to your business. For site development or adding infrastructure to an existing site, we can assist in finding the right number of charging stations and placement that is most ideal for your specific customers.
Electric Vehicle Charging Options
New generation electric vehicles will continue to hit the market, and EVs are being purchased at a rapid rate. In fact, more EVs are now sold in one week than in all of 2013. Therefore, the demand for public charging solutions continues to increase.
Most electric vehicles will charge at one of three charging levels, with commercial chargers at levels 2 and 3. See details below. While not every location needs a DC fast charging station, you can still take advantage of high-powered AC charging stations to attract customers to your business (workplace, apartment complex, retail space). Our team can also help find EV charger installation incentives for medium to large sized projects. Please contact us with any questions and we’ll be happy to assist.
EV Charging Levels
Most electric vehicles (EVs) will charge at one of three charging levels.
Level 1 – Basic, slow, “trickle” charging – Residential – 120 volts AC (alternating current). Typically will take 3-7 Hours for PHEVs and 9-20 hours for EVs. Vehicles plug directly into a typical 120‐volt outlet. Top Choice Electric will evaluate the circuit to determine if upgrades or modifications to the property’s main electrical panel or circuits are required, and it should be a dedicated circuit, meaning no other appliances should use the same circuit.
Level 2 – Fast, or “quick” charging – Residential and Commercial – 240 volts AC. Typically will take 1-3 Hours for PHEVs and 4-8 Hours for EVs. Requires a charging station. Top Choice Electric will determine if upgrades or modifications to the property’s main electric panel or circuits are required.
Level 3 DC – Very fast charging – Commercial – 480 volts DC (Converts 3-phase AC to DC) or higher. Typically will take 10-20 minutes (80% charge) for PHEVs and 15-30 minutes (80% charge) for EVs. Requires more complex installation and potential electrical infrastructure upgrades.
Bi-Directional Charging
Bi-directional charging technology allows energy stored in your EV to be discharged back into the electricity grid or another energy system. For this to work, both the EV charger and the vehicle must be compatible with the appropriate bi-directional converter and software application.