As the Government-backed shift to hybrid and electric vehicles is gathering pace, now would be a good time to understand the steps involved with EV Charging Station set up in the modern workplace. We have created a guide to provide a useful overview.
Where to Start
Finding out who supplies EV Charging stations, where to place them and how to protect vehicle plug-in points will be at the top of your to-do list. Depending on the number o staff, company cars and fleet, you could create sufficient demand for multiple points to charge hybrid and electric vehicles across your business exterior.
Another thing to think about is the cost of a big switch to green energy in your workplace. The good news is there are grants available to help your organisation meet the cost of an EV charging station set up.
This is part of the campaign by the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), which aims to transition individual motorists and fleets as quickly and seamlessly as possible. You can get help with the costs and EV grant application assistance from OZEV.
The Government has also announced an additional £20 million of funding for electric vehicle charge points in easily accessible public locations across the UK.
When you’re ready to go ahead with your new electric vehicle charging scheme, the next important things to consider are where you are going to put them and how you’re going to protect them. The last thing you want after installing your EV chargers is for them to be damaged by a reversing vehicle.
This is where our guide can help.
EV Charging Point Set Up
Setting up EV plug-in sites properly is not just about getting vehicles charged easily and efficiently. There are steps you can follow to avoid costly damage and the inconvenience of having this vital new business equipment out of action for repairs.
When you select a supplier of commercial plug-in equipment for electric vehicles, it’s worth finding out if they provide help with locating charging stations correctly, including any DNO and safety requirements.
They should also take steps to earth the equipment properly and adjust it to match your electrical demands and characteristics.
If you need large-scale projects to install EV charge points, the right supplier can also help with planning applications, DNO management and all the other hurdles.
Keep in mind that signage to help drivers easily locate EV charging stations is also something that we can help you with.
Protecting EV Charging Stations
With the above steps sorted, your next priority is protecting this expensive piece of equipment. By the nature of the product, it will likely be near to constantly moving traffic, potentially including HLGVs and HGVs.
Sourcing the best protection system for your EV charging stations will depend on its location and the type of vehicles that need access to it.
Light Duty Protection for EV Charge Points
If your EV chargers are being installed into a small company car park, for staff and visitors use, Brandsafe can provide light duty protection kits for EV charging stations.
These include high-vis ImpactSAFE Protection Posts, which absorb inadvertent knocks and scuffs.
They’re robust enough to cope with a lot of mishaps in your car park and they’re also great for protecting EV charging stations at homes.
Medium Duty Protection for EV Charge Points
If you have a larger car park and several electric commercial vehicles, your EV charging stations may need some additional safety management items.
Brandsafe has packaged up ImpactSAFE Protection Posts with a Wheel Stop, so you can shield your equipment quickly and effectively.
Heavy Duty Protection for EV Charge Points
If you have multiple charging stations in your workplace and considerable commercial traffic to manage, you need a system to minimise impact damage from multiple directions. Our Brandsafe turnkey EV charging point package includes ImpactSAFE Bollards, a Wheel Stop and, if requested, Armco Safety Barriers.
Bespoke Systems to Protect Electric Vehicle Charging Points
The above options to protect EV charging stations at workplaces are designed to be easy to install and a reliable solution for many UK businesses.
However, we know that many companies have unique site layouts and challenges when considering how to protect EV charge points at their premises. We would be delighted to help design and install a safety system that keeps your equipment protected, and your vehicles energised and ready for action.
Also, if you need help protecting domestic electric vehicle charging equipment, or you are a public sector body installing EV charge points in public car parks, Brandsafe has the solution. Get in touch to discuss your impact protection requirements further with our team of product specialists.
