Considerations in Designing Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles

The era of the electric car arrived while we weren’t looking. Brought to the forefront of the American awareness by Toyota’s Prius, it has taken the involvement of Elon Musk’s Tesla to really drive home the idea of a rechargeable vehicle that appeals to more than the environmentally conscious. However, the advent of the rechargeable vehicle has also created a market opportunity—building the infrastructure necessary to make the use of the vehicle possible beyond just short trips into and out of the suburbs.

This has created a wave of interest and government support for companies that can implement charging stations across the landscape as quickly as possible. Not restricted by the infrastructure of underground fuel tanks and pumping stations that traditional vehicles require, the charging station industry instead can use small units in parking lots, in lightly trafficked neighborhoods and easements, and even in some cases alongside busy highways and streets. 

So, what design elements should go into your network of charging stations? A networked charger is pretty much essential these days—the initial cost savings of designing a non-networked station will be more than offset by the inability to include remote access, an invoicing system, or remote monitoring. Any charging station that is not monitored is open to overuse and abuse.

When designing the charging station, one must also consider other elements. Charging stations should be colorful and easy to identify. They should incorporate cabling hardware, rather than assuming that customers will have a spare cable in their vehicle. And don’t forget easy-to-read screens, including voltage information, estimated charging times, and rate information.

Lastly, one should be aware of the marketing opportunities surrounding the charging industry. Charging a vehicle takes time—time that could be used to provide additional services to your charging station customer. Restaurants, coffee shops, and WiFi-enabled businesses all present multiple potential revenue streams associated with your charging station network.

Cypress Technologies has all the answers you need when you are ready to design your charging station enterprise. Contact us today for more information about getting in on the ground floor of the next wave of transportation infrastructure.