Hidden challenges and costs of EV chargers

– By Ed Neilan – (Renewables and EV Infrastructure Consultant)

In the first article on building infrastructure for Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers we covered the high level challenges faced by many buildings/properties when it comes to adding EV chargers. The process steps will vary slightly but the general steps are as follows;

1. Conduct an electrical capacity assessment to see what the building or facility can actually provide in additional power requirements. (Noting the number of chargers will greatly affect the planning and costs.)
2. Calculate how many vehicles and the number of chargers are required across the different charger types. (Slow, medium and fast chargers)
   1. This will depend on time at site and the KM’s travelled per day.
3. Get a clear understanding of the costs;
   1. Per type of charger
   2. Civil construction costs (Distances for cabling or trenches, etc.)
   3. Upgrades to electrical panels (DB’s), circuit breakers, new cables and wiring, metering if you are on-selling any electricity and the professional services plus labour. (All of these can be up to 50% of the cost of installation)
4. Then there is the hidden cost of electricity as peak demand charges in many states can increase the cost of your electricity overall.
   1. In the future time of use tariffs will be used to balance out the supply/demand challenges.
5. Charging network fees or internal systems for tracking and accounting or billing for usage needs to be considered. (FBT issues with individuals charging the company car at home and claiming back will get messy and expensive)
6. Facility maintenance and upkeep to ensure the power is available to large fleets will present its own challenges.

Ed came out of the energy industry dealing with electricity and renewables, including large scale solar projects, battery storage and EV chargers. He now consults to different sectors from Property and Aged Care to Engineering and Stand-alone power systems with Electricity Utilities across renewables and management consulting, using more than a decade of his C-level experience to make the complex simple and easy to follow.

Should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Ed via the phone (0412 902792) or email ed@neilangroup.com.au