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So you think you want to focus on installing charging stations?
You've probably heard the talk, every man and his gran is going on about going green and net zero. The government is pushing to take petrol and diesel cars off the roads and your mate's swanky new electric whip is looking more and more appealing.
Or perhaps it's about cold hard cash. There's no denying that electric vehicles are the future and therefore an integral part of a sustainable and profitable business model dedicated to charging station installs.
Electric drivers are part of a growing market and with that EV charging station installs are set to boom. After all, gas stations are not providing the charging equipment their battery needs. Perhaps you're looking to jump on board and ride that big money wave.
Whatever your reasons for wanting to get into EV installs, we've made it easy for you to find out more.
Here's everything you need to know about starting your electric vehicle charging station business. Bear in mind that this is still a growing market and, as such, you are expected to stay on top of technology development. So, if you are still at the market research stage, make sure to take note of all new regulations and developments in the energy market.
Understandably, there are a lot of questions about these business models. There is no denying that before you even approach the business plan, you want to understand if there is a suitable business model for growth. As electric vehicles multiply faster than we can keep track of them, the first question that probably pops into your mind is: Is the EV charging industry ready for entrepreneurs selling charging solutions? Ultimately, there's no point exploring the different charging business models if there's no way it's going to pay off. The second question is: If the EV charging sector is ready for businesses, what does the right charging business look like?
Read below to determine how to build a successful EV charging station business.
Yes, there is a significant and growing demand for EV charging stations and, therefore, for installations.
This is being driven by increasing consumer demand for electric vehicles, which has risen to 54% in the UK. In comparison, in the US electric vehicle sales are now up to 9% of all car sales in the country. Much of this growth comes from government support that is helping to ensure there is plenty of work in the EV market for electric vehicle charging station installs.
With a £381 million fund designed to support the installation of tens of thousands of new EV charging stations and public sector investment led by ChargeUK aiming to double the UK's charging network, you won't be short of work. So, that's it for the brief market research on EV power for electric vehicles. The market is growing faster than expected, so, to paraphrase Richard III, "my kingdom for a horse", many EV drivers would be saying "my kingdom for a charged battery". In other words, the market research reveals that there are currently more EV on the road than there are conveniently placed charging stations. Think back to the early days of petrol and service stations, and you'll understand the challenge.
All of this means that a whole lot of chargers are going to need to be installed, providing you with plenty of work to keep you busy - and this doesn't even account for installing charging stations for residential property owners. Indeed, as an installer, you are more likely to work with the commercial property market and assist businesses who want to make their charging station available to customers in urban areas. Your main clients will look for the best EV charging solutions investment for their customer-facing electric vehicle charging stations. And suddenly, this becomes a completely different kettle of EV fish. You're not just there to support EV drivers and the sustainable energy market, you are an install charging station business that needs to offer commercial use, convenient and fast charging station solutions that keep electricity costs as low as possible.
So now you know there's plenty of demand for charging stations, you probably want to know how much you stand to make from this line of work.
EV charger installers typically earn an average of £35,000 per year in the UK and $40,000 in the US. This works out at around £17 an hour and $19 an hour, respectively.
If you start your own EV install business, you can expect your earnings to go up significantly, with salaries as high as £50k a year or more or $80k in the US. However, total earrings could be even more, depending on how successful your business is. As a rule of thumb, you want to focus on the advisory and consulting side of the EV charging business, so you can charge for EV charging station consulting and for recommendations designed to improve the overall charging infrastructure. There's no secret, when clients gets in touch with a charging station business, they want to ask about only one thing: How many DC fast chargers can they get and how will the charging cables be managed because they want minimum costs and minimum space usage. From a commercial perspective, most businesses choose to get charging stations installed in car parks, so they are reluctant to reduce parking spaces too much because of their customers. At the same time, they also want to support drivers of e-vehicles, so the biggest challenge for them is to determine the best EV charging solution for their customers.
If you want to start installing EV chargers you first need to qualify as an electrician. Indeed, your EV charging station business will be working with DC power output and running conduit solutions.
Although you can technically perform your own EV charger install at home (this applies to residential property owners only and not for commercial use ) you would still need to get this signed off by your local building control or by a registered electrician for safety requirements. There are no necessary permits for an EV charging station at home, unless this is a listed building or conservation area. Interesting fact if you are already thinking about your marketing strategy for installing charging stations: a residential charging station is not necessarily referred to as a station. Some clients may talk about an EV plug or a home charger instead of a charging station.
As an EV charging business expert, you may be required to advise EV drivers on any permits that are relevant to their situations. Commercial structures that are looking to add a charging infrastructure will need to obtain a different set of necessary permits. Needless to say, there is no just demand for charging stations. There's also demand in the market for how to comply with the regulations of an EV charging network. This is where expertise can help you build brand recognition as a knowledgeable EV charging business advisor.
Truth be told, there's no such thing as a ready-to-plug charging station that doesn't require professional certifications. Just like you wouldn't trust anyone to build a gas station, the EV market doesn't trust anyone to set up charging stations. If you want to perform electrical installs for the general public you will need the following:
The non-essential but recommended qualifications are the following:
The OZEV grant is a financial grant aimed at helping individuals and businesses to install electric charging stations. So, when you register with OZEV, you grant authority is likely to promote your install EV charging business. Depending on whether you are an individual, business or landlord, there are slightly different grants available and slightly different station costs too, as energy requirements will vary.
These are:
With the flat owners or renters grant you can gain up to £350 off the cost of installation.
You can find more information about these grants on the UK Gov site.
To become an OZEV installer you first need to become a professionally accredited electrician by completing a suitable qualification for managing electric energy. You also need to be accredited by a recognised industry body, such as the NICEIC, ELECSA, or another competent person scheme.
It is also required that you have public liability insurance for the protection of your customers. This is particularly important when working on charging stations on commercial projects, either along with fleet operators or in a public space.
Once you have these qualifications you can then undertake specific training for EV charging station installations.
Here are some options that would give you the necessary qualification for installing EV charging stations:
CEF EV Charging Course
Logic4Training EV Charging Point Installation Course
Skills Training Group Electric Vehicle Charging Installer Course
City & Guilds Level 3 Award In Domestic Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Installation
Access Training Electric Vehicle Charger Installation Course
GTEC (Global Trade & Energy Corp) EV Charging Course
Once qualified you need to apply to the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles to become certified. You can do this from the OZEV website. You will be required to fill out a form and provide evidence of the necessary qualifications stated above.
The process for your clients to claim the grant varies slightly depending on whether you are working on a flat or rented property or if you're installing charging stations for a business or landlord. The type of installation will determine the right grant for their charging station equipment costs. The grant helps make the investment in green energy equipment more affordable.
You can find these steps on the gov website but we have included them here for reference.
Chargepoint grant for renters and flat owners
Chargepoint and infrastructure grant for business staff and fleet car parks and landlords
Typically, training to become an EV installer takes 1 to 2 days, however, training times may vary depending on what course you choose to take.
Check to see what modules are covered, these can give you a good indicator of how long the course will take.
If you do decide to launch your EV charging business as an installer then there are a few different types of charging station you will be required to fit. These can essentially be separated into home chargers or public chargers.
Home Chargers: These are typically slow to fast chargers (up to 22 kW). The installation requires a suitable electrical connection and sometimes an upgrade to the home's electrical system. A dedicated circuit is often recommended for safety and efficiency. The power output for residential charging stations is 3.6kW or 7kW.
Public Chargers: Ranging from fast to ultra-rapid chargers. For comparison, a DC fast charger has a full output in terms of power of 43kW to 50kW vs 100kW or more for ultra fast charging. The difference in power output also means the battery gets charged more or less fast. Drivers can expect around 80% battery charge in 20 to 60 mins with fast charging stations. They require more extensive infrastructure, like high-capacity power connections, and are often managed by specialist companies. Locations are strategically chosen for accessibility and demand, such as next to gas stations for commutes and road trips. Bear in mind that more and more EV drivers expect to find a charging station as their local gas station.
When working on public high kW chargers, these installs will usually take longer as they require more updates to existing infrastructure. This might include upgrades to the existing electrical system.
Public charging points are often delivered on mass, meaning you may be working with a team of electricians or as part of a bigger organisation, whereas domestic chargers can be done on your own (assuming you are fully qualified).
Once you are qualified and have some experience fitting EV chargers you may be ready to expand your operation into a broader business.
To do this you should follow the same process for starting and growing any electrical company. We cover how to do this in our article on how to start an electrical business.
However, there are a couple of extra details to bear in mind when growing your business.
One of the first questions you may have when hiring for an EV install business is “Do I need to hire registered OZEV installers to be able to fit EV chargers?”
The short answer is no, all your technicians do not need to be OZEV qualified to fit chargers that qualify for the grant.
This is because as a qualified installer, you can oversee and sign off any installation that your employees complete, allowing you to confirm it meets the necessary standards and therefore be accepted for the grant.
This means as your business grows you only need enough OZEV-qualified electricians to sign off the work for the rest of your team. As you start you should be able to do this on your own, but as your team grows you will at some point need to train up some of your workforce.
Before you think about expanding you need to ensure that there will be suitable work for you to do.
It's a good idea to check what local and regional developments are planned when it comes to installs and if you are likely to win that work. This kind of security is necessary to build and grow your company sustainably.
With the UK aiming to roll out at least 6000 high-powered charging points across the country and the US targeting 500,000 public chargers by 2030, there has never been a better time to join the EV charger installation market.
Whether you're an experienced electrician looking to diversify your workstream or someone who wants to specialise in an exciting new industry, the opportunity to make more money and future-proof your work is one to embrace.
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