For an employee car park, a 7.4 kW alternating-current (AC) charging point with a Type 2 plug is usually enough. Step up to 11 or 22 kW if vehicles park for a short time, and keep direct current (DC) for intensive use. In every case, the power available on your site decides the number of charging points before the choice of equipment.
Which charging power should you choose for your use?
Choose the power from the time vehicles stay parked, not from the maximum speed of the charging point. An employee who parks for eight hours has no need for 22 kW: 7.4 kW recharges the vehicle comfortably during the day. Conversely, a fleet vehicle that leaves after forty minutes justifies 22 kW, or even direct current.
The table gives orders of magnitude for a vehicle consuming 16 kWh per 100 km, excluding charging losses. Actual time depends on the vehicle, the temperature and the battery state.
| Power | Time for 100 km | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 3.7 kW (AC) | about 4 h 20 | Occasional use |
| 7.4 kW (AC) | about 2 h 10 | Employee car park, long stays |
| 11 kW (AC) | about 1 h 30 | Customers, visitors, fleets |
| 22 kW (AC) | about 45 min if the vehicle accepts it | Fast turnover |
| 50 kW and above (DC) | a few tens of minutes | Intensive fleets |
Alternating or direct current?
Alternating current (AC) suits the vast majority of businesses: the charging point delivers grid current and the vehicle's charger converts it for the battery. It is the cheapest option to install and maintain, and covers charging points from 3.7 to 22 kW.
Direct current (DC) is converted inside the charging point and sent straight to the battery, which allows power of 50 kW and above. It requires a larger connection, more expensive equipment and often a grid study: it is justified for fleets that drive a lot or for high-traffic sites where charging time matters.
Which plug and which charging mode?
The Type 2 plug is the European standard for alternating current, and the CCS (Combo) connector is the one for DC fast charging. Type 1 and CHAdeMO plugs belong to older generations of vehicles: check your vehicles' connectors before ordering, but a Type 2 charging point covers most of the current fleet.
In business settings, the reference is mode 3: a dedicated charging point that communicates with the vehicle to secure the charge. The household socket (mode 1) is discouraged for safety reasons, and the reinforced socket with a control box (mode 2) remains a stop-gap. Mode 4 refers to DC fast charging.
Why does a charging point not always charge at its maximum power?
Three limits apply: the vehicle's on-board charger, the power available on the site and the setting of the charging point. A vehicle whose charger is limited to 11 kW will not exceed 11 kW on a 22 kW point. Several points charging at the same time share the power of the connection. Finally, a charging point can be set below its maximum power to match your installation.
This is why the installation is sized on actual use, not on the rated power of the equipment.
Do you need a connected, managed charging point?
Yes as soon as you install several charging points or your available power is limited. Dynamic load management shares power between charging points according to site activity, which most often avoids raising the subscribed power of your electricity contract, and therefore the standing charge. It can also shift charging to off-peak hours.
Remote supervision provides usage tracking for each charging point, fault detection and, if you wish, rebilling of charges to employees or customers.
How do you go from choosing a charging point to a full project?
At Eneffic, we install one to three charging points on your business site, supervise and maintain them. We can also supply the electricity that feeds them: you have a single contact for the equipment and for the contract. We always start with the power available on your site, before choosing the equipment.
The 4 project steps
Measure usage
Number of vehicles, parking time and arrival hours.
Check the available power
It sets the number and power of the charging points.
Check the funding
Advenir conditions in force, to check before the works.
Install, supervise, maintain
Commissioning, remote monitoring and intervention in case of failure.
Key takeaways
Choose power by parking time
7.4 kW for several hours of parking, 11 to 22 kW for fast turnover.
The vehicle limits the charging power
A 22 kW point does not charge faster than the on-board charger allows.
Start with the available power
Dynamic load management most often avoids raising the subscribed power.
