A project specifies charger protection from its own traffic picture, not from a catalogue default. The work starts with the drive paths vehicles actually take past each charger position, then chooses the barrier that fits that path — a bollard, a wheel stop, a kerb line, or moving the unit — and hands the fixing and foundation to the project engineer’s drawing. No universal rule mandates a bollard at a charger, and this article claims no crash rating for any barrier: the performance a project needs comes out of its own risk assessment.
Key Takeaways
- Protection is specified from the site’s traffic picture: drive paths first, barrier choice second, engineer’s drawing third.
- Wheel stops fit nose-in wall bays; bollards fit freestanding units and turning paths; the layout decides.
- No impact or crash rating is assumed for any unit or barrier — performance values come from the project’s own assessment.
- Protection is civil scope, cheapest when drawn with the chargers, and it must never block the route it guards.
From Site Risk to Specified Barrier
| Site risk | Protection choice | What the engineer’s drawing must show |
|---|---|---|
| Cars nose in toward a wall-mounted charger | A wheel stop on the bay’s approach, so tyres halt before the bumper reaches the unit | The stop’s position relative to the unit’s face, with charger access and cable reach left clear |
| A freestanding station at the head of open bays | Bollards on the sides vehicles approach from | Foundation and fixing detail, bollard positions, and their visibility marking as a specification line |
| Delivery or service vehicles turn near the units | Protection on the turning side — or the unit relocated out of the swept path | The swept-path check on the layout drawing, signed off before positions are fixed |
| The cable’s working area crosses a drive line | Reroute the run or guard the area — a bollard in front of the cabinet does not protect the cable | The cable route on the layout, kept out of the tyre path, with the connector’s parking point shown |
| An accessible route passes the charger position | Protection that guards the unit without narrowing the step-free route | The route check against the current standards, confirmed with the authority having jurisdiction |
What the Specification Must Not Assume
- A rated barrier. No impact (IK) rating is stated for the EVDANCE models in this article, and no barrier here carries a crash figure. If the risk assessment demands a performance value, it comes from the engineer’s calculation or a written confirmation — never from an assumption about the product’s shape.
- That protection is the charger’s job. Bollards and wheel stops are civil work in the project’s scope, priced from the same site survey as the foundations and surfacing — not an accessory line on the charger order.
- That the barrier can go anywhere. A bollard that blocks the connector, the cable’s swing or the accessible route has moved the problem, not solved it. Positions are checked on the drawing, not improvised on the day.
Placement does most of the protective work before any barrier is bought: our site selection guide treats the drive path as a layout input, which is why protection costs least when it is drawn with the chargers rather than retrofitted around them.
Forms That Face Traffic Differently
Exposure follows form. The EV-AC03201T is a floor-standing dual-connector AC station standing in the parking field itself — the classic bollard case. The EV-ACT5006T wall charger sits on the wall that cars nose toward, which is wheel-stop geometry. Neither listing states an impact rating, so the project’s protection decision is made from the layout and the risk assessment, exactly as above. Layout and protection can be worked through with our commercial EV charging team or via contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are bollards required by code for EV chargers?
No universal rule names a bollard. A local code, an insurer or a funding programme may ask for vehicle protection on a given site — that is a confirmation for your project, read from their current text, not a general duty this article can state.
Bollard or wheel stop — how does a project choose?
By geometry. Wheel stops guard bays where cars nose toward a wall unit; bollards guard freestanding units, corners and turning paths. Many sites specify both, each where its geometry applies.
Can protection be added after the chargers are installed?
Yes — it is independent civil work. It costs less inside the original groundworks, and the retrofit must still keep the connector, the cable run and any accessible route clear.
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 to Open an EV Charging Station: Step by Step
- How Do Commercial EV Charging Stations Work?
