Plan the supply before the station. One EV-AC03201T is a continuous load of up to 43 kW — both connectors busy can hold that draw for hours. Whether your installation has 43 kW of spare capacity is a question only an on-site assessment by a licensed electrician, and where needed your network operator, can answer.
Key Takeaways
- One station is a continuous 43 kW-class load; plan it as such, not as an average.
- Capacity is assessed on site by a licensed electrician — no article can answer it for your building.
- Station counts multiply the ceiling (two stations, 86 kW); your simultaneity pattern decides the real peak.
- Published DOE cost figures are US reference points; upgrades and groundworks sit outside them.
Start With the Load, Not the Charger
Charging is not a brief load like a kettle. A car at a workplace or hotel can draw at full power for an entire parking stay, so plan the station as a continuous 43 kW-class block, not an appliance that averages out. The capacity question comes first, the bay layout second, and the purchase last. Our site selection guide covers where on the site a station belongs; this article is about the power behind it.
How the Numbers Grow
Each station adds one 43 kW ceiling to the site’s possible draw. The growth is simple labelled arithmetic — the planning question is how much of it can happen at once:
| Stations planned | Maximum combined draw if every connector is busy |
|---|---|
| 1 station (2 bays) | 43 kW |
| 2 stations (4 bays) | 86 kW |
| 4 stations (8 bays) | 172 kW |
Nameplate totals are the ceiling, not the forecast. How close your site gets to them depends on simultaneity — how many cars actually charge at the same time, which is set by your users’ pattern: an office peaks mid-morning, a hotel overnight. State your assumed pattern in the plan, because the capacity conversation below depends on it. A fleet site does the same exercise (see our fleet depot charging guide).
The Capacity Conversation
Four questions frame the assessment. None can be answered without your building:
- Spare capacity: how much continuous load can the existing supply and distribution board take, at the hours your cars will charge?
- Upgrade or not: if the spare is short of 43 kW per station, what changes — a board upgrade, a larger service, or fewer stations in phase one?
- Distance: how far is the chosen bay from the board? Cable runs and groundworks are driven by the route, and they are priced per site, not per charger.
- Growth: if more stations follow, should the route and capacity be prepared now? Deciding once is cheaper than digging twice — your call, made on the assessment.
Any connection approval or notification follows your network operator’s own process, which your electrician handles locally; there is no universal timetable to quote here.
What Published Cost Figures Do and Do Not Cover
For US context only, the U.S. DOE cites public Level 2 charging at about $3,500 equipment plus $2,500 installation per connector — a dual-connector station is two connectors on one installation. Treat those as dated US reference points, not a quote: board upgrades, long cable routes and groundworks sit outside them and are usually where commercial budgets move. Our breakdown of commercial station installation costs separates the parts. Ask every bidder for an itemised quote against the same capacity assessment.
The Station This Plan Is For
The EV-AC03201T is a floor-standing AC station with two Type 2 connectors sharing up to 43 kW (22 kW per connector), a 7-inch touchscreen, RFID access, an IP54 enclosure and OCPP 1.6J for platform operation. Because both connectors sit on one supply, one capacity decision covers two bays — the reason it suits the phased plans above. See EVDANCE’s commercial charging solutions for the wider range, or the contact page for a site-specific discussion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the station run on a supply with less than 43 kW spare?
43 kW is the station’s combined ceiling. Whether it can be commissioned with a lower site limit is a configuration question — confirm it with EVDANCE and your installer in writing before you plan around a smaller supply.
Do I need a supply upgrade to install one?
Only the assessment answers that. If your board already has 43 kW of continuous spare capacity at charging hours, no upgrade is needed for the first station; if it does not, the upgrade — or a smaller first phase — becomes part of the project.
Who decides whether my connection is big enough?
Your licensed electrician assesses the building’s side, and your network operator is the authority on the service feeding it. Together they confirm capacity, protection and any approval the connection needs.
Related Reading
- Where to Install an EV Charging Station: Site Selection Guide
- How Much Does It Cost to Install a Commercial EV Charging Station?
- How Do Commercial EV Charging Stations Work?
- Fleet Depot Charging: How to Size AC Chargers for Vans and Light Commercial Vehicles
