2.3. Scale: low numbers or hubs?

Another decision to be made is how many chargepoints to locate in a specific location, whether this is on or off-street. Low numbers of chargepoints, for example, between one and three charging sockets, may be enough in certain situations, whereas in others a hub, for example, more than four charging sockets, may be a more appropriate solution.

Low numbers

Attributes of this approach are:

• Anticipated low demand – there may be some areas where there has been an identified need for some provision, but the current commercial case is fairly weak due to anticipated low utilisation.
• Limited power availability – where the site’s capacity would be exceeded by a higher number of chargepoints and the cost of upgrading is not seen as commercially viable.
• Shorter turnaround times – small scale infrastructure projects take less time to complete once necessary consents are obtained.
• Lower likelihood of capacity charges – monthly standing charges, irrespective of usage levels, are less likely to be incurred if less power is requested.

Hubs

Attributes of this approach are:

• Reduce consumer “charging anxiety” – clustering many devices in one location gives you greater assurance of being able to access a chargepoint and improves a site’s resilience if specific units need maintenance.
• Achieve economies of scale – reduced costs per individual chargepoint (for example, for civils, cabling, trenching work).
• Likelihood of expensive supply upgrades – more power means increased likelihood of exceeding existing supply capacity and upgrades can be very costly depending on location.
• Capacity charges – sites requiring a large electrical connection may incur substantial monthly standing charges.
• Long lead times – the significant engagement required through the planning stages, and the scale of the development, means that it can take a long time for hubs to open.