[Paul]

Just wondering, there's a few companies who seem to install them when not required, so I kind of guess there's money in it for them, yet there's companies that don't install them when it would appear to make good business sense.

With grants and co-operations with charge companies and such, does it cost much to get a charge point installed? Does it vary wildly depending on the charger type?

Anyone have an inside line on this and maybe be able to offer some insight, if not exactly numbers?

 

[brian orr]

We've heard a lot of 'bull' about the cost off Rapd Chargers - a figure of £45k was mentioned. However, imagine my surprise to read this in the US that Nissan were selling Rapid Chargers for just $15k.
Since they are being publically funded, I suspect there is a big difference between the hardware purchase price and the 'installed' price.
I would like to see a simplied Type-2 outlet without RFID and Internet connection. If supermarkets etc are going to continue to deliver 'free charging', then simplicity of design = lower installed price = great reliability/availability?

 

[Kevin Sharpe]

With grants and co-operations with charge companies and such, does it cost much to get a charge point installed? Does it vary wildly depending on the charger type?

Type 2 Charging Stations can be purchased for ~£600 (7kW) and ~£800 (22kW). A typical 7kW commercial installation is ~£500-£1000 depending on the ground works required. In most cases grants are not available for this work.

'Rapid' Chargers require extensive ground works and power provision. The first tranche in the UK cost many tens of thousands pounds and my guess is they will always remain expensive because they are complex. I'm sure that installers like @Thephoenixworks @Matthew Morgan would have an informed view on these costs.

I believe that all OLEV funding has now been allocated and that any further funding will be decided after the 2015 election. Personally I hope that OLEV focus future grants (if any) on reducing the cost of EV purchase and allow the market to compete and bring down the cost of charging hardware. It's no coincidence that domestic Charging Stations increased in price following the announcement of the OLEV grant.

Companies like Best Western simply need educating about EV charging and they will then invest because the sums are modest and they are always looking for an edge. I wish OLEV had spent the millions its wasted on installing domestic chargers at non-EV owners homes educating business about EV charging... imagine what could happen if every company and business understood the potential of EVs.

 

[brian orr]

If funding is now running out - I hope some infrastructure is added to the 'black holes': Wales, the NW, N & E Yorks, Devon and Cornwall.
If I can be a Devil's Advocate (for a moment) - 'No more chargers installed - until utilisation improves'!
Its a travesty if people have invested in EVs - do not use the infrastructure. If investors and policy makers look at the statistics and see that EV ownership is rising (slowly) but use of the infrastructure is rising at a slower rate - then they will read into the numbers that a complete and coherent infrastructure is demonstrably not a barrier to EV adoption. I, for one, would not like to see posts being 'pulled' - but local authorities are definitely under pressure to cut costs. Without central government investment - they will have no choice, but to pull them.
Similarly for supermarkets, if its does not win customers - then it will not be funded.

 

[Matt Beard]

According to "Prof Dave" on LeafTalk, his University are paying £31k for the installation of four 32A fast chargers and a triple-standard (CHAdeMO, CCS and 43kW AC) rapid charger.

 

[Kevin Sharpe]

According to "Prof Dave" on LeafTalk, his University are paying £31k for the installation of four 32A fast chargers and a triple-standard (CHAdeMO, CCS and 43kW AC) rapid charger.

does that include the charging hardware or is that paid for by a separate grant?

 

[Matt Beard]

does that include the charging hardware or is that paid for by a separate grant?

From what he said it seems it was including all. I know that Dundee Council installed their rapid chargers (including cost of the charger) for a little over £20k each.

This document: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/276436/rapid-charger-network.pdf appears to use a figure of £37,500 for every rapid charger in the roll-out, so that may be a good figure for an expected top-end price (as the grants are for "up to" the stated amount)

 

[Matthew Morgan]

I am currently in the process of tendering for several Rapid Charger installations in the North of England and the costs can vary dramatically for each one, usually based on the price of ground works and Distribution Network Operator costs (national grid).

A 100kW rapid charger (400V/144A per phase) is a huge electrical demand. I have found that 99% of sites surveyed require grid infrastructure works before a rapid charger can be installed; these are the huge unknown.

 

[Mark J Constable]

Three times the cost of the rapid charger is not uncommon.

EDIT: added "rapid" for clarity