How to Choose the Right DC Charging Solution?

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Last Updated: 25/4/2023

The demand for fast and efficient electric vehicle (EV) chargers is growing as the number of electric vehicles on French roads continues to rise. This new need tied to electric mobility is prompting both private and public stakeholders to seek fast, scalable, and efficient solutions to offer EV charging stations at their sites.

In this dynamic context, direct current (DC) charging is gaining traction: these high-power stations (fast or ultra-fast charging) can recharge electric vehicles in just a few dozen minutes.

Broadly speaking, commercial charging and corporate fleet charging are the two main use cases for DC charging. Either you aim to attract customers to charge their electric vehicles, or you are a fleet operator looking to recharge your fleet of electric vans, buses, or trucks to keep them operational for daily use.

Commercial Charging To offer a charging solution to your EV-driving customers, you must first ask yourself a series of questions to determine which type of charging will be best suited.

Question 1: How long do your customers typically stay at your site? This is one of the most important questions to consider before investing in DC charging. This question may also lead to the next one: “How long do you want your customers to stay at your site?”

DC charging stations are attractive to EV drivers who need to recharge in a short amount of time. Additionally, understanding where these drivers are coming from and what they will do while charging their vehicle will help you determine the power output your stations need to provide to ensure customer satisfaction. The charging time must be fast enough to meet your customers’ needs while allowing them sufficient time to visit your site during the charging process.

For example, if you own a highway service station, your customers are likely to have nearly depleted batteries. They will probably want to recharge as quickly as possible, grab a snack, and get back on the road. In this scenario, an ultra-fast DC charging station with high power output (from 150 kW to 350 kW) would be ideal.

In contrast to the previous example, where people tend to stay for an average of one hour, if you own a restaurant or a large retail store, it may not be necessary to provide a DC charging station with very high power output. In your case, it might be more cost-effective to offer a 50 kW or 90 kW DC charging station over a longer period, encouraging customers to stay longer at your site while charging.

Question 2: What type of electric vehicles do your customers drive? The type of electric vehicle your customers drive is a key factor in choosing the most suitable DC charging stations, particularly regarding battery size.

Battery size impacts charging time. For example, if your customers are primarily drivers of electric buses with large batteries, you need to account for the fact that, even if they stay for a shorter time, they require higher power output.

Conversely, if your main customer segment consists of passenger vehicles with smaller batteries, your power output does not need to be as high.

Additionally, while most electric vehicles today are equipped with CCS2 connectors, some vehicles still use the Japanese CHAdeMO standard. Although this is changing with the adoption of CCS2 as the European standard, there are still over half a million CHAdeMO-equipped vehicles in Europe.

Therefore, to increase your appeal, it’s worth considering offering multiple connector types.

Question 3: What payment method do you prefer? Drivers will appreciate being able to choose from multiple languages and payment options, ranging from charging cards to apps and even bank cards.

By making the payment process as seamless as possible, you can ensure your customers have a positive charging experience at your establishment, increasing the likelihood they will become regular customers.

Question 4: How to future-proof your investment? Modular charging stations—such as the EVBox Troniq Modular—offer a range of power outputs, charging cables, and payment options. They help your business prepare for the future while avoiding overinvestment today: you can start with lower power output and add power modules as demand grows at your site.

By investing in modular charging stations, you set yourself up for long-term success, as you can enter the charging market now while optimizing your initial investment and scaling up as your needs evolve.

Fleet Charging

Most of the questions above are also relevant for electric vehicle fleet managers.

As a fleet manager, you have a comprehensive view of the different electric vehicles visiting your site and their behavior (parking duration, route lengths, etc.). These factors provide an opportunity to create a scalable charging strategy that meets both your current and future needs.

Current Needs – Parking duration, battery size, and the charging power of electric vehicles are all critical factors to consider in your charging strategy. Only once you have a clear understanding of these factors and the specifics of the charging location or depot can you select the appropriate charging solution.

Future Needs – Electric vehicles are increasingly common in fleets, and the proportion of EVs in your fleet is likely to grow rapidly. To anticipate this growth, it’s important to include a scalable plan to adapt your DC charging infrastructure to both current and future needs.

Scalability Due to the growing share of electric vehicles in fleets and the variety of EV types and their batteries, modular charging stations like the EVBox Troniq Modular are the most suitable products.

Modular charging stations allow you to prepare for future growth and evolve with your charging needs while electrifying your fleet. By investing in modular equipment like the EVBox Troniq Modular now, you ensure a sustainable future for your fleet.

Choose EVBox as your partner to guide you in selecting charging solutions tailored to your current and future needs.

Our teams understand your current needs, know where the industry is heading, and can help you identify the right time to move to the next phase of your charging strategy.

At its Bordeaux site dedicated to Research and Development (R&D) and the production of fast and ultra-fast charging stations, EVBox designs and manufactures its entire range of DC charging stations.

For more information on this French expertise, technical specifications, and customer testimonials, visit our website evbox.fr and request a quote.