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Photo by stanvpetersen on Pixabay

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Public electric vehicle charging stations are a great way to encourage drivers to switch from gas-powered to electric cars. They’re also a great way for organizations or businesses with parking lots to start monetizing their real estate. 

An EV charging station is essentially just an outlet that you can connect your car to and charge its battery without having to visit a gas station or wait for your battery to charge via grid power. 

So how do you go about setting up a public EV charging station? Read on for details on both indoor and outdoor public EV charging stations, what you need to get started, and how much they cost. Public electric vehicle charging stations are becoming increasingly common as the world moves towards cleaner energy solutions.

 By installing an outdoor or indoor public EV charging station at your business, condo, school, church, or other property that has accessible parking, you can encourage your visitors to drive green and help them out in the process.

What You Need to Set Up an Outdoor Public EV Charging Station

There are three main types of charging stations: 

 Level 1 charging stations (or standard charging stations)

These are your standard, low-power charging stations. They’re perfect for charging your car at home, but they’re not strong enough to charge a car while someone is using it. 

 Level 2 charging stations (or fast charging stations): 

These are the types of charging stations that you’ll want to install at an outdoor public EV charging station. They’re significantly faster than standard charging stations, but because they’re plugged into a 220-volt circuit, they also draw more power. 

Level 3 charging stations (or rapid charging stations)

 Level 3 charging stations are the most powerful, plug-in charging stations you can buy, but they’re also the costliest. They’re the type of charging station you’d find at a public charging station, and they can charge your car’s battery to 80% in just 30 minutes.

Choosing a Site for the Fast Charging Station

When it comes to choosing a site for your outdoor public EV charging station, your first consideration should be finding an appropriate public space. You want to be sure that the area you’ve chosen has enough room for the parking spots and is accessible to your customers. You’ll also want to make sure that the area is well-lighted at night and that the site is visible from the road. You’ll also want to choose a site that is easy for your customers to access. Think about how many people will be visiting your charging station at once. Will they be parking in a lot or on the street? How close is the site to the establishment where your customers are likely to be coming from? You’ll want to make sure that the site is easily accessible for your customers, and that it doesn’t cause any safety hazards or become a source of frustration for the people who are trying to use the charging station.

Considerations in Choosing What Type of Station

When you’re choosing what type of station you’d like to install at your outdoor public EV charging station, there are a couple of considerations that you’ll want to keep in mind. The first is that a fast charging station will draw more power than a standard charging station. This can be a good thing if you’re looking to incentivize people to charge their cars a little longer, but it can also cause problems if your circuit breaker isn’t up to code. You’ll want to make sure that your outdoor public EV charging station is hooked up to a circuit that can handle its power draw. You also want to make sure that your charging station is placed in a spot that is safe for pedestrians and other drivers. You don’t want to put your charging station in a high-traffic area where it might cause a hazard if someone bumps into it.

What You Need to Set Up an Indoor Public EV Charging Station

If you’re planning to install an indoor public EV charging station, you’ll need a little more than an outdoor charging station. Here’s what you’ll need to make sure your indoor public charging station is up and running: – An Electrician: As with your outdoor public EV charging station, you’ll want to call an electrician to come out and make sure you have the wiring capacity you need to run your indoor charging station. – A 220-Volt Circuit: While a 220-volt circuit is not required for indoor charging stations, it’s highly recommended. A 220-volt circuit will allow you to draw significantly more power from your building’s circuit than a 110-volt circuit will. This will help you to charge your cars faster and will reduce your carbon footprint, as well.

How Much Does a Public Electric Vehicle Charging Station Cost?

The cost of installing a public electric vehicle charging station will vary depending on a number of factors, including the size of your charging station, the type of charging station you choose, and what site improvements you need to make in order to install it. You can expect to pay between $5,000 and $10,000 to install a standard level 1 charging station, or between $10,000 and $20,000 for a fast charging station. You can expect to pay more if you need to do site improvements to accommodate your charging station, or if you decide to install more powerful charging stations. Additionally, you can expect to pay more if you are installing an indoor charging station instead of an outdoor one.

Indoor Public EV Charging Stations

If you’re looking to install an indoor public EV charging station, you’ll have a few different options. You can choose to install a wall-mounted charging station, a charging station on a countertop, a charging station installed in a desk or table, or a charging station embedded in the floor. The type of indoor public EV charging station you choose will depend on where in your building you want to install it and how much room you have available to work with. You should also keep in mind that indoor charging stations are not as convenient for your customers as outdoor charging stations are. If you want to encourage your customers to continue driving electric, you may want to install an outdoor charging station.

Outdoor Public EV Charging Stations

If you’ve decided to set up an outdoor public EV charging station, you’ll have plenty of options for what type of charging station you want to install. You can choose from a variety of level 2, level 3, and standard charging stations, or you can install a charging station that employs a variety of green technologies like solar power, kinetic energy, or hydro power. The type of charging station you choose will depend on a number of factors, including the amount of space you have available, the amount of power you want your charging station to draw, and the amount of money you want to spend installing your station. Outdoor charging stations are not as convenient for your customers as indoor charging stations are, but you can help mitigate this problem by installing your station in an area that is highly visible to your customers.

Conclusion

Public electric vehicle charging stations are a great way to encourage drivers to switch from gas-powered to electric cars. They’re also a great way for organizations or businesses with parking lots to start monetizing their real estate. An EV charging station is essentially just an outlet that you can connect your car to and charge its battery without having to visit a gas station or wait for your battery to charge via grid power.