What is the cost of EV chargers in the workplace?

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On average, a workplace EV charger costs around €1,000 per charging port (excluding installation costs). However, many factors determine the cost of a workplace electric vehicle (EV) charger, including its brand and model, features, and installation costs.

Typically, installation costs account for 60 to 80% of the total cost and can even reach tens of thousands of euros if you aim to install a larger network of 5, 10, or 25 charging stations.

Let’s take a closer look at the factors that determine the cost of a workplace EV charger and see how to choose the one that best meets your needs.

Employees Are Switching to Electric

EV sales reached a new record in 2022, confirming the trend toward electric mobility. If you’ve recently glanced at your company’s parking lot, you’ve likely noticed that an increasing share of your employees’ cars are now EVs.

But the workplace isn’t just a place where employees park: more and more, EV drivers expect to be able to charge wherever they go, including at work. In fact, the workplace is already one of the most popular charging locations, with 34% of EV drivers regularly charging their vehicles at their workplace.

Of course, meeting employees’ needs is important, but installing EV chargers comes at a cost. So, how do you know how much your installation will cost and how to ensure you get the most out of it?

Costs of a Workplace EV Charging Station

Hand using a calculator. There are papers with graphs on a table and a laptop.

Broadly speaking, there are different cost categories: initial costs, ongoing costs, and return on investment.

Initial Costs of Workplace EV Charging Stations

Initial costs are likely the first to come to mind when thinking about EV chargers. They include the actual price of the equipment and labor costs for site assessment, preparation, and charger installation.

Price of a Workplace EV Charging Station

Generally speaking, and taking a rough average, a workplace charging station costs around €1,000 per charging port, excluding installation costs. The cost of a charging wallbox varies significantly depending on its features, such as charging speed and power output, the number and type of connectors, cable length, and any connectivity or smart charging features.

Installation Costs of Workplace EV Charging Stations

Installation costs often represent the largest portion of an EV charging investment. On average, they account for 60 to 80% of the total costs and can even reach tens of thousands if you aim to install a larger network of 5, 10, or 25 charging stations.

Depending on your location, purchasing and installation costs may be higher or lower. Also, consider government incentives that may help offset these costs.

Coins stacked up on top of papers with graphs on them.

Ongoing Costs of Workplace EV Charging Stations

Like any device, some maintenance is required to keep it in top condition. While charging stations are designed to be robust and durable, frequent use can wear out certain parts or leave others in need of cleaning.

Maintenance Costs of Workplace EV Charging Stations

In principle, not much maintenance is required, though an annual inspection of the stations is recommended to identify parts that need replacement, such as damaged cables or outlets.

Instead of scheduling one-off maintenance appointments, it’s often worthwhile to subscribe to a maintenance plan or service contract with a provider.

Operating Costs of Workplace EV Charging Stations

Beyond maintenance, you also need to consider the operating costs of the chargers, including the electricity used. Taking the average electricity price of €0.25 per kWh in Europe, it would cost about €14.88 to fully charge a Nissan Leaf (64 kWh) and €24 for a Tesla Model S (100 kWh).

Assuming you have space for 10 cars and each charges during an 8-hour workday, it would cost €148.80 to charge 10 Nissan Leafs or €240 for 10 Tesla Model S vehicles.

ROI and Savings

Installing an EV charging station at your workplace may involve an upfront expense, but after a few years, it can lead to savings and even become a revenue source, depending on the business model you choose.

Generally, you can either offer EV charging for free to your employees or charge users for using the station, in which case you can offer a discounted rate to employees while others pay full price.

If you opt for the second model, you may find that after a few years, your EV chargers not only break even but start generating profits. This is especially true if you open your charging stations to customers or the public, listing your business as a public charging location.

If you operate a fleet of vehicles, installing EV charging stations can lead to additional savings by ensuring transparency and control over charging costs.

ROI of Workplace EV Chargers

Let’s illustrate with an example how you can generate revenue by operating EV chargers at your workplace. Suppose you’ve installed 5 charging stations for a total cost of €12,500, including installation.

Assume your stations are used 5 days a week, with an average consumption of 25 kWh, and are accessible to both employees and visitors for a fee:

• Employees benefit from a discounted rate of €0.45 per kWh,
• Visitors pay the market rate of €0.75 per kWh.

Assuming each charger is used once a day, with an average of 3 employee sessions and 2 visitor sessions per day, how long would it take to break even on your investment?

After deducting the average EU electricity cost (€0.25), you earn a profit of €0.20 per kWh for employees and €0.50 per kWh for visitors. This means you would generate a profit of €300 per month from employee charging and €500 per month from visitors.

With these figures, you would break even in just over 15 months of operating the charging stations, and anything earned beyond that would be pure profit for your organization.

Of course, these figures may vary depending on the cost of the charging stations and their installation, their usage, electricity prices in your region, and the rates you charge.

Long-Term Benefits of Workplace EV Chargers

Of course, purchasing a charging station is a significant expense, but it’s important to look at it from a long-term perspective.

For example, you can look for chargers that allow you to easily add more stations without rewiring and that scale power based on the number or speed of the stations.

You should also consider that EVs and EV chargers are constantly evolving, with new features and capabilities such as connected charging, renewable energy integration, and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) coupling. Ensure the charger you purchase can be easily upgraded without requiring major physical modifications.

View from above of a moving car on a road surrounded by green vegetation.

Workplace EV Chargers: An Investment in the Future

Electric mobility is now a reality—the question is no longer if, but when your employees will buy an electric vehicle.

Installing EV chargers at the workplace also has an impact beyond your direct bottom line.

By getting ahead and investing in electric vehicle charging infrastructure now, you can future-proof your organization and offer a high-value benefit that contributes to employee satisfaction, significantly supports your organization’s sustainability strategy, and may even become a direct source of profit.

By encouraging employees to move away from combustion engine vehicles, offering workplace EV charging can also contribute to your talent acquisition efforts and help retain highly skilled employees by providing a highly sought-after benefit.

To learn more about how to integrate EV charging into your company’s portfolio, check out our detailed guide. If you’re ready to install an EV charging system at your workplace, explore our EV charging solutions here.