How to choose the right DC charging solution for your business
June 18 10:31:34, 2025
The growing demand for rapid and efficient EV charging solutions is keeping pace with the accelerating global shift toward electric mobility. As a result, businesses across various sectors are actively seeking scalable, fast, and effective ways to offer EV charging services at their locations.
Among these solutions, DC charging is emerging as a preferred choice for many businesses. Known for its high-power capabilities, DC fast or ultra-fast charging can replenish electric vehicles in just a few minutes. However, with numerous options available, it's essential to identify the specific needs of your business before making a decision.
**Which Businesses Can Benefit from DC Charging?**
Broadly speaking, there are two primary use cases for DC charging: commercial EV charging and fleet management. You might want to draw EV drivers to your location by offering fast charging stations, or you could be managing a fleet of vehicles like buses, delivery vans, or trucks that require frequent charging.
**Commercial Charging**
If you're aiming to attract EV drivers to your business, there are several critical considerations to guide your choice of DC charging setup.
**Question 1: How Long Do Your Customers Stay at Your Location?**
This question is perhaps the most crucial when planning your DC charging strategy. It essentially boils down to how much time you want your customers to spend at your site.
DC charging stations are particularly appealing to EV drivers who need quick charges and are willing to travel further for convenience. Understanding where these drivers typically originate from and where they're headed can help you determine the appropriate power output to meet their needs. It’s vital to ensure they have enough time to engage with your business while guaranteeing their vehicle gets fully charged.
For instance, if you own a gas station along a highway, your customers are likely arriving with low battery levels and will want to recharge quickly before continuing their journey. In this case, you'd want a DC charging station with a high power output, such as 180 kW or more.
On the other hand, if you run a restaurant or retail store where customers typically linger for an hour or more, you might opt for a lower power output, say 50 kW or 90 kW, since customers can afford to wait longer without feeling rushed.
**Question 2: What Type of EVs Do Your Customers Drive?**
The type of EVs your customers drive plays a significant role in selecting the right DC charging stations. EVs vary in battery size and connector type (CCS2 vs CHAdeMO).
The size of a vehicle’s battery directly impacts charging time. For example, if your customers primarily drive electric buses with large batteries, even though they stay for a shorter duration, they will still require a higher power output. Conversely, if your customers are mainly driving passenger vehicles with smaller batteries, they may not benefit as much from ultra-fast DC charging. For instance, while some fast chargers can deliver up to 350 kW, a 2021 Nissan Leaf can only handle up to 46 kW.
Additionally, although most EVs now come equipped with CCS2 connectors, there are still a considerable number of vehicles on the road using the CHAdeMO standard, especially in Europe. Therefore, to ensure broad accessibility, it’s wise to offer a variety of charging ports.
**Question 3: Where Can I Install the Charging Stations at My Location?**
When exploring different DC charging options, there are two main architectures for fast and ultra-fast charging solutions: standalone and split systems.
Standalone solutions are self-contained DC charging stations that combine both the user interface and the power supply into a single unit, often resulting in bulkier installations. Split solutions, on the other hand, consist of two separate modules—a user interface for interaction and a power module that supplies energy. Split solutions generally offer greater power capacity compared to standalone ones.
Depending on your location's layout and your business requirements, either option could work. However, in practical terms, split solutions tend to provide faster charging due to their higher power output.
**Question 4: Which Payment Method Do You Prefer?**
As you’re providing charging services to your customers, you might see this as an opportunity to generate additional revenue. Thus, it’s important to consider various payment methods, including RFID cards, key fobs, payment terminals, or mobile apps. The ease of payment significantly influences customer satisfaction and their likelihood of returning.
**Question 5: What Does the Future Hold?**
Electric mobility is expanding rapidly, and this trend shows no signs of slowing down. According to the IEA’s Global EV Outlook 2021 report, electric car registrations surged by 41% in 2020 alone, despite the global pandemic affecting overall car sales. The coming years are expected to see continued growth in electric vehicle adoption.
This means that the number of EV drivers seeking charging stations at your location today may differ significantly from those tomorrow. To prepare for this anticipated increase in EV drivers, it’s crucial that your DC charging station can adapt to future growth.
Modular units offering diverse power outputs, charging cables, and payment options can help your business prepare for the future without overextending today. You can start with a smaller power output and scale up as demand increases. Modular DC charging stations, like the EVBox Troniq Modular, provide the flexibility to enter the market now and expand as your needs evolve.
**Fleet Charging**
Most of the questions mentioned earlier also apply to EV fleet operators, though the answers may sometimes be more straightforward. Fleet charging offers more certainty compared to commercial charging because fleet operators typically have a clearer understanding of the types of EVs, their dwell times, and the length of their routes.
**Current Needs**
Factors such as dwell times, route lengths, battery sizes, and the maximum power output a vehicle can accept are essential considerations when developing a charging strategy. Once you have a comprehensive overview of these aspects and the unique characteristics of your charging location or depot, you can proceed to select the appropriate hardware.
**Future Needs**
According to the IEA’s Global EV Outlook 2021 report, EV fleets are expanding rapidly in major vehicle markets. It’s highly probable that the proportion of EVs in your fleet will grow in the future. To accommodate this expansion, it’s vital to implement a scalable plan for your DC charging infrastructure today while preparing for growth in the future.
Ultimately, as your EV fleet expands, the success of your charging strategy hinges on whether your current decisions are both scalable and robust.
**Scalability is Key**
Given the increasing number of EVs in your fleet and the varying types and battery capacities, modular charging stations, such as the EVBox Troniq Modular, are the best fit. These stations allow you to prepare for future growth and scale with your evolving charging needs as you transition to an all-electric fleet. Investing in modular hardware now sets you up for long-term success.
**Conclusion**
While the ideal DC charging station depends on multiple factors, opting for modular hardware is undoubtedly the smartest choice to ensure long-term success. With the ability to expand your offerings as EV charging customers grow and as electric vehicles evolve, you’ll be well-positioned for future success.
Moreover, by providing DC charging to EV drivers, your business can position itself as a leader in the electric mobility revolution—addressing the top barrier to EV adoption: range anxiety—and attracting valuable new customers who spend more and stay longer.
Of course, it’s essential to find a reliable partner to ensure the safe installation and maintenance of your EV charging stations and keep your network operational.
EVBox offers a range of DC charging stations as part of its end-to-end electric vehicle charging solutions for businesses worldwide. For a detailed list of technical specifications, use cases, and more information, explore our portfolio of DC charging stations designed for businesses looking to electrify their operations.
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In summary, while the right DC charging station for your business depends on several factors, investing in modular hardware is the wisest choice to secure long-term success. By being able to increase your offerings as EV charging customers grow and as electric vehicles evolve, you’ll be setting yourself up for long-term success.