For an electric van, 22 kW AC charging makes sense in a narrow, checkable case: the van’s onboard charger accepts 22 kW on a three-phase supply, and its working pattern includes a stop too short for a slower post to replace the next shift’s energy. If either condition fails — the van accepts less, or it parks all night anyway — a slower post does the same job. Both conditions concern the van and its day, not the wallbox — the EV-ACT3204PE is the worked example below.
Key Takeaways
- 22 kW AC pays for a van only when the van accepts 22 kW three-phase and a short dwell makes the rate usable.
- Overnight-only vans gain nothing from the extra rate: at long dwells, 11 kW finishes the same energy in time.
- The deciding numbers are the van’s rated AC power and its real parked hours — both checkable before purchase.
- A 22 kW post still serves slower vans at their own rates, so a mixed fleet can share one post type.
Condition One: The Van Must Accept 22 kW
On AC charging, the vehicle’s onboard charger is the ceiling for every session. A 22 kW wallbox cannot push a van past its own AC rating: a van whose onboard charger accepts 11 kW charges at 11 kW on any AC post, and one that charges on a single phase sits lower still. Models and trims differ widely here, so the only reliable source is the specification of the van you actually run — its rated AC power, and whether that figure is three-phase. Our explainer on single-phase vs three-phase charging sets out how the ratings combine.
Condition Two: The Dwell Must Be Too Short for Slower Charging
The figures below are labelled arithmetic: at 22 kW sustained with about 10% allowed for losses, roughly 20 kWh per hour reaches the battery; at 11 kW, roughly 10. The example need — a van returning needing about 44 kWh — is an example, not a fleet average. Measure your own vans’ use.
| Duty pattern | Time parked | At 22 kW | At 11 kW | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overnight only, back by early evening | About 10 hours | 44 kWh in about 2.2 hours | 44 kWh in about 4.4 hours | Both finish with hours to spare — 22 kW adds nothing |
| Midday turnaround between shifts | About 1 hour | About 20 kWh added | About 10 kWh added | The extra rate decides whether the afternoon round is covered |
| Short evening turnaround, second shift same day | About 3 hours | 44 kWh covered | About 30 kWh — short of the example need | 22 kW earns its place, if condition one holds |
Rate is what you buy when time is the scarce resource.
When It Does Not Make Sense
- The van accepts 11 kW or less. The session runs at the van’s rate whatever the wallbox says; spend the effort on post count instead.
- The vans only ever park overnight. With ten hours parked, even a large nightly need finishes at half the rate — the table’s first row is most single-shift fleets.
- The site supply is single-phase. A 22 kW rating is a three-phase figure; the supply question comes first, and an installer confirms what your site has.
- The fleet is mixed. One 22 kW post serves every van at its own rate, so a mixed fleet is no argument against it — but only vans passing condition one justify choosing it. Post count is a separate calculation, worked through in our fleet depot charging guide.
Where the case holds, the EV-ACT3204PE fits it directly: a 22 kW three-phase wallbox, tethered Type 2 cable, hardwired for a permanent depot position, RFID cards tying each session to a vehicle or driver, IP66 housing for yard mounting, CE mark and a 3-year standard warranty. General timing across rates is in our comparison of charging times at 7, 11 and 22 kW.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all electric vans accept 22 kW AC charging?
No. AC acceptance varies by model and trim, and many vans are rated below 22 kW. Check the rated AC power in your van’s specification — that figure, not the wallbox’s, decides the session speed.
Is 22 kW AC a substitute for DC fast charging on a route?
No — different jobs. DC fast charging (50–350 kW in the U.S. DOT’s bands) is en-route charging in minutes; depot AC is dwell charging in hours. The 22 kW case is about short depot stops, not replacing rapid charging.
Our vans return at different times. Does that change the answer?
Staggered returns shorten some dwells and lengthen others; judge each van’s typical parked time, not the fleet average, and give the shortest-dwell vans first claim on the fastest post.
Related Reading
- Fleet Depot Charging: How to Size AC Chargers for Vans and Light Commercial Vehicles
- How Long Does It Take to Charge an EV at 7 kW, 11 kW and 22 kW?
- Single-Phase vs Three-Phase EV Charging: 7kW, 11kW and 22kW Explained
