Buying puts the full hardware and installation cost up front, gives you ownership, and makes maintenance your responsibility. Leasing spreads the cost into periodic payments for equipment you do not own, with maintenance and end-of-term states decided by the contract. Neither is cheaper by nature — the only honest comparison is your own two quotes, over the same scope and term.
Key Takeaways
- Buying trades capital up front for ownership and your own maintenance duty; leasing trades periodic payments for use under a contract.
- No published lease price table exists — run the comparison on your own two quotes, same scope, same term, exits priced.
- The maintenance clause and the term-end options decide more of a lease’s real cost than its headline payment.
- Equipment and premises leasing are separate questions; landlord consent applies either way.
The Two Structures Side by Side
| Dimension | Buying | Leasing | The line that decides it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ownership | Yours from purchase, asset and remaining value included | The provider’s throughout; you hold a right to use | The contract’s title and term-end clauses |
| Cash shape | Capital outlay up front — hardware plus installation | Periodic payments across the term; installation inside or outside them | Whether installation is inside the leased scope, stated in writing |
| Maintenance and faults | Yours beyond the manufacturer’s warranty — EVDANCE states a 3-year standard warranty | Whoever the contract names; cover varies from none to full service | The maintenance clause — read what it includes, not its heading |
| End of term | Nothing to decide; units keep working or are replaced at your cost | Return, extend or buy out — each with its own price consequences | The term-end options and their notice deadlines |
U.S. DOE-cited figures put public Level 2 at about $3,500 equipment plus $2,500 installation per connector, and DC fast charging at about $38,000–$90,000 plus $20,000–$60,000 installation — U.S. context, in our commercial installation costs guide. No published table exists for leases — a lease total lives only inside a provider’s quote.
Run the Comparison on Two Real Quotes
- Same hardware scope. Same models, same bays, same access and platform arrangements on both quotes — a cheaper quote for less charger is not a saving.
- Same installation scope. Confirm whether groundworks and supply work are inside the lease, priced separately, or yours either way.
- Same term. Compare the lease total across its full term with the purchase total across the same years, maintenance included where each side leaves it.
- Price the exits. Early termination, removal and make-good on the lease side; resale or redeployment value on the purchase side.
- Keep tax out of the comparison. How each structure is treated in your accounts is for your tax adviser; the federal credit that once shaped this maths has closed, and neither structure should be sold on an unconfirmed tax claim.
Which Way Businesses Lean — and Why It Is Only a Lean
Businesses with a long horizon on premises they control often lean toward buying: the outlay is recovered across years of use and the asset stays. Businesses piloting charging, on a fixed site term, or protecting cash often lean toward leasing: the commitment is bounded and payments predictable. Treat both as leanings to test against your quotes, not rules — a lease with installation excluded and thin maintenance cover can cost more than the purchase it was meant to soften, and a purchase on a site you leave in two years strands the asset. One distinction matters: leasing the equipment is separate from leasing the premises. Landlord consent for the installation applies whichever way the hardware is funded.
The Hardware Decision Is the Same Either Way
EVDANCE supplies hardware; it does not publish a leasing program — any lease is a separate finance agreement with its own terms. The units are the same on both routes: for shared staff and visitor bays, the EV-AC03201T dual-connector AC station (two Type 2 connectors sharing up to 43 kW, OCPP 1.6J, RFID, IP54, floor-standing); the wider range is on our commercial EV charging page. Choose the charger on the site’s evidence first, then how to pay for it. Questions start via contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is leasing cheaper than buying overall?
Only your own two quotes can answer that — same scope, same term, exits priced, maintenance counted where each contract leaves it.
Who fixes a leased charger when it faults?
Whoever the contract names. Cover ranges from none to full service, and the difference is worth real money across a term — read the clause, not the summary.
Can we lease chargers on premises we rent?
They are separate questions. The installation is fixed electrical work on someone else’s building, so the landlord’s written consent is needed for the work itself, whichever way the hardware is funded.
Related Reading
- How Much Does It Cost to Install a Commercial EV Charging Station?
- Is an EV Charging Station Business Profitable?
- What Is the Best EV Charger for a Small Business? How to Choose
- How Do Commercial EV Charging Stations Work?
