Electric vehicle charging at US-based businesses has surged over the last five years, and with good reason. Current data shows that businesses with EV chargers consistently realize numerous financial advantages, including increased foot traffic, higher revenues and access to lucrative utility and government subsidies.
According to a recent study by Consumer Reports, retail businesses that install electric vehicle charging stations see an average four percent increase in foot traffic and five percent increase in revenue due to new customers and longer dwell times. Fleet hubs benefit from reduced maintenance and operating costs. Workplaces add a new revenue stream while attracting educated, eco-conscious talent. And multifamily housing properties are able to lure more affluent tenants while realizing boosted property values of three to seven percent on average.
However, EV charging for business properties is not a one-size-fits-all solution, and decision-making logic must include prioritizing certain key elements while evaluating trade-offs based on the type of commercial site in question. Factors like electrical capacity, access control, pricing models and maintenance needs vary among property types, which means choosing a network provider that has extensive experience catering to each.
According to a recent study by Consumer Reports, retail businesses that install electric vehicle charging stations see an average four percent increase in foot traffic and five percent increase in revenue due to new customers and longer dwell times. Fleet hubs benefit from reduced maintenance and operating costs. Workplaces add a new revenue stream while attracting educated, eco-conscious talent. And multifamily housing properties are able to lure more affluent tenants while realizing boosted property values of three to seven percent on average.
However, EV charging for business properties is not a one-size-fits-all solution, and decision-making logic must include prioritizing certain key elements while evaluating trade-offs based on the type of commercial site in question. Factors like electrical capacity, access control, pricing models and maintenance needs vary among property types, which means choosing a network provider that has extensive experience catering to each.
Site Types
For our purposes, we will look at six main types of businesses:
· RETAIL: Commercial properties that are designed for selling goods or services directly to consumers, including strip malls, shopping centers, big-box stores and brick-and-mortar shops.
· WORKPLACES: Properties primarily used for professional or administrative work, such as corporate offices, co-working spaces and business campuses.
· MULTIFAMILY: Residential properties that contain multiple housing units within a single building or complex, like apartment buildings, condominiums and townhome communities.
· FLEETS & DEPOTS: Facilities that store, manage, maintain and dispatch company vehicles or equipment, from parking yards to shipping operations to transit hubs.
· HOSPITALITY & DESTINATION: Properties designed to accommodate guests and/or attract visitors for leisure and travel, including hotels, resorts and entertainment venues.
· MIXED USE: Developments that combine multiple property types — such as residential, retail and office — within a single building or complex.
For each of these, we will focus on the deployment criteria that EV charging station providers should prioritize across four critical areas: 1) electrical constraints; 2) software requirements; 3) payments and pricing; and 4) operations and uptime.
Electrical Constraints
· If the site is RETAIL, prioritize the type and number of chargers to balance dwell times with customer turnover, provide maximum available electrical capacity during peak business hours, and utilize intelligent load management for distribution among a variety of vehicle types.
· If the site is a WORKPLACE, prioritize daytime electrical demands through smart charging station management software that can facilitate load sharing and scheduled charging, balancing employee needs with building capacity limits.
· If the site is MULTIFAMILY, prioritize electrical distribution and tenant access over total capacity, scalable infrastructure with submetering, and cost-conscious routing from power boxes to electric vehicle charging stations in parking areas or garages.
· If the site is a FLEET HUB OR DEPOT, prioritize adequate utility service capacity to support high-power charging for medium- and heavy-duty EVs, often requiring faster charge times at intermediate transit terminals during daytime hours and slower, mass vehicle charging during evening hours.
· If the site is HOSPITALITY OR DESTINATION, prioritize reliable charging for longer dwell times during prime operating hours while minimizing impact on peak facility loads through integrated smart charging software.
· If the site is MIXED USE, prioritize the efficient coordination of charging loads across multiple tenant and building types, shared electrical capacity planning, smart load balancing and scalable infrastructure that can support growth while remaining flexible.
Software Requirements
· If the site is RETAIL, prioritize a system that supports easy guest access, fast transactions and roaming network compatibility for EV drivers along with robust monitoring and control for operators who need to manage turnover and ensure chargers are available for customers.
· If the site is a WORKPLACE, prioritize access control, scheduled charging and employee authentication features, including integration with human resource or employee benefit platforms that can help manage who can charge, when and whether the charging is subsidized.
· If the site is MULTIFAMILY, prioritize reserved charging, usage tracking by tenant or unit, and resident authentication features, with waitlisting functionality if needed to fairly allocate limited EV chargers being shared among residents.
· If the site is a FLEET HUB OR DEPOT, prioritize functionality designed for efficient fleet energy management, including vehicle-to-charger assignment, charge scheduling based on routes, optimization for large power demands and integration with telematics systems.
· If the site is HOSPITALITY OR DESTINATION, prioritize guest-friendly access with minimal barriers to use, like app-free charging and hotel room integration, along with round-the-clock monitoring and usage reporting for a positive guest experience.
· If the site is MIXED USE, prioritize software with healthy load balancing and multi-tenant management capabilities, allowing different user groups to access chargers with separate permission, pricing, power and reporting structures.
Payments & Pricing
· If the site is RETAIL, prioritize a pricing model that supports high turnover and customer convenience, such as time-based fees or pay-per-use, with options like credit card, QR codes, mobile wallet or roaming network access so customers can charge without downloading apps or setting up accounts.
· If the site is a WORKPLACE, prioritize employee authentication and flexible models tied to employee benefits or workplace policies, with the option for charging to be free, subsidized or priced-at-cost, and allowing for payroll integration or monthly billing rather than individual transactions.
· If the site is MULTIFAMILY, prioritize fair and transparent pricing that allows resident billing to be linked with individual drivers or units, with payment systems that support either monthly or per-kWh billing and optional reservation fees to manage shared charger demand.
· If the site is a FLEET HUB OR DEPOT, prioritize internal cost accounting over public payment, featuring pricing considerations centered on accurately tracking electricity costs, demand charges and vehicle-specific charging expenses coupled with flexible reporting and cost allocation configurations.
· If the site is HOSPITALITY OR DESTINATION, prioritize a pricing strategy that complements the guest experience and property revenue strategy, with charging offered as a free amenity, bundled into parking fees or billed directly to the guest room.
· If the site is MIXED USE, prioritize pricing models that support multiple user groups with different needs and expectations, allowing for flexible billing structures, access-based rates and tiered pricing, all easily managed by the charging station management software.
Operations & Uptime
· If the site is RETAIL, prioritize the placement of chargers in highly visible, convenient parking areas, with remote monitoring, proactive maintenance alerts and rapid issue resolution measures to ensure high charger uptime during store hours.
· If the site is a WORKPLACE, prioritize reliable daytime availability and predictable charger performance via a platform offering comprehensive management controls and monitoring, allowing problems to be resolved quickly so downtime does not become a distraction for employees.
· If the site is MULTIFAMILY, prioritize consistent, long-term dependability and responsive support channels for residents who rely on a home charging solution, complete with 24/7 monitoring and fair use management capabilities to prevent conflicts over shared chargers.
· If the site is a FLEET HUB OR DEPOT, prioritize mission-critical uptime and operational redundancy via EV chargers that are continuously monitored, and pair that with spare charging capacity, preventive maintenance schedules and rapid repair response.
· If the site is HOSPITALITY OR DESTINATION, prioritize ultimate guest satisfaction through reliable, simple-to-use infrastructure that boasts remote diagnostics, escalated maintenance protocols during heavy travel seasons and clear support signage for guests who may be unfamiliar with the equipment.
· If the site is MIXED USE, prioritize vigorous operational coordination across multiple user groups and peak periods, with a turnkey platform that balances usage monitoring, uptime tracking and responsive maintenance to ensure uninterrupted access for all applicable user types.
Scenario Table
EV charging for business means knowing both your needs and that of your customers, employees or tenants. To summarize the above, the following chart organizes key considerations by property type.
FAQ’S
Q: How do we decide on the correct number of EV chargers to install now while still maintaining flexibility to expand in the future?
A: Most properties start with a limited number of chargers based on current demand and install additional electrical capacity or conduit infrastructure to allow for future expansion as EV adoption increases among customers, residents or employees. Management also commonly works with a network provider like Epic Charging that can help them scale as they grow.
Q: Will our existing electrical service support EV charging, or will we need a utility upgrade?
A: The answer depends on the site’s intended use, current electrical capacity, peak demand and charger type. Many projects avoid major upgrades by using smart load management and phased installation, but fleet depots or fast-charging locations may require new transformers or utility coordination.
Q: What type of charger (Level 2 or DCFC) is best for our property?
A: The right charger type depends largely on the use case, which involve considerations like installation costs, electrical constraints, revenue goals and, most notably, driver dwell time. Level 2 is typically sufficient for workplaces, multifamily housing and hospitality properties with longer dwell times, while retail corridors or fleet operations may benefit from faster options like Tesla Superchargers or other DC fast chargers.
Q: How will drivers pay for charging, and who sets the pricing?
A: Flexible charging networks like Epic allow site owners to set their own pricing models, which can range from free charging to per-kWh to time-based pricing. It all depends on the property’s goals, whether that be generating revenue, attracting customers or offering a complementary tenant amenity.
Q: Who maintains the chargers, and what happens if something stops working?
A: Most modern EV charging platforms include remote monitoring, automatic alerts and customer service support, allowing operators to quickly diagnose issues and dispatch maintenance to minimize downtime.
Interested in exploring whether EV charging is right for your business? Contact us for a hassle-free, no obligation consultation.