Workplace Guide on EV Charging Station Best Practice

In 2024 EV sales reached 1.3 million in the US which is a 7.9% increase from the previous year. 

With a boost in federal and state support, strong incentives from automakers, and improved lease deals, the industry is expanding year-on-year.

This has led to many companies looking to adopt workplace EV charging stations themselves to support their employees. However, not following best practice can lead them to be unusable, inefficient, or against regulations.

Why are EV Charging Stations Beneficial to the Workplace?

There are various benefits to workplace EV charging stations for both you as a business and your employees. 

As much as the installation and maintenance costs may seem expensive to you as a business, they can help to retain employees and entice new ones which reduces both onboarding and recruitment costs that could be created.

It can also be used to generate money for a business depending on your setup as you may choose to charge a fee or allow external users to use them at a higher rate. This helps to recuperate any costs created during the implementation and running of your charging stations.

The main benefit for most businesses surrounds sustainability as it helps to reduce the company’s carbon footprint and the impact it has on the environment. EV sales are set to increase and implementing your own charging stations will help future proof your business.

For employees, workplace EV charging stations provide convenience for charging as this can be completed during the workday and provides a higher chance of having a reliable place to charge their car.

Although there has been a growth in sales, a lack of EV charging stations and other impacting factors can lead to finding a charging station difficult for drivers. Having them within your workplace provides a sense of security for employees and other users.

The Risks to Workplace EV Charging Stations

Implementing EV charging stations comes with its risks, especially if best practice is not followed. The risks can begin right from the installation process and being aware of this will help to prepare and prevent the associated risks.

The layout of your workplace EV stations is vital for optimum efficiency. However, the layout can cause more risks than just a lack of efficiency if completed poorly such as, physical risks to employees, impacting other parking spaces in the workplace, and at worst becoming unusable.

Poor installation could also create electrical hazards and increased fire risks. EV charging stations utilize high voltage electricity to support efficient charging of vehicles, but if improper practice and faulty equipment is used, overheating and fires can be caused.

Following the installation of any EV charging stations, there are still risks present like vandalism, theft, damage, and cyber attacks. Unfortunately, these risks are present with all EV charging stations, especially with theft due to the high value copper used in them.

Preparation and prevention are the best forms of defense for this and should be considered at the earliest stage possible. 

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The Importance of Best Practice with Workplace EV Charging Stations

Poor management or the incorrect usage of EV charging stations could negatively impact your business in many ways including, financial implications, legal consequences, and a change in workplace dynamics. 

It could lead to injury which your workplace can be held liable for and cause unnecessary repercussions that could be easily avoided for you by following best practice. 

As these EV charging stations will be owned or rented by your business, you are responsible for maintaining them and ensuring safety for your employees that utilize them. This responsibility also means you are accountable for any related costs required for repair, replacements, and other maintenance fees.

Top 5 Tips to Mastering Workplace EV Charging Station Best Practice

Maintaining best practice with workplace EV charging stations provides your business and employees multiple benefits and ensures the successful functionality of them. Find out LotGuard’s top 5 tips to help master this below:

Ensure Qualified Installers Fit the EV Charging Stations

Implementing EV charging stations at your workplace is costly for a business, however, cutting corners with the installation process is not a good idea in order to just save yourself some money.

If installation is completed incorrectly or is faulty it could lead them to be unusable or worse become a safety risk and cause injury or damage.

Therefore, it is best to ensure that those installing your EV stations are qualified to do so and have worked with commercial units and spaces before. This is because commercial spaces vary in their requirements and it is important that you have individuals that have knowledge in this and are aware of the risks.

Consider Best Positioning for EV Charging Stations

To maximize the benefits that your EV charging stations provide your business and employees you need to consider the best positioning for them in the space available to you.

You need to ensure there is still a clear pathway for employees to park whilst encouraging usage for those with electric cars. Balance is vital to the functionality of the EV charging stations.

Think about car sizes, the spacing required between the parking spots, the width of parking spaces, and the number of employees that may wish to use them.

Workplace EV charging stations are only beneficial if they can be used for the purpose that they were created for. If an employee cannot fit their car into the parking spot, the charging stations will be unusable. 

Think About the Security of Your Workplace EV Charging Stations

Over recent years there has been a rise in copper theft due to the increase in its value. Thieves can now earn even more than ever for copper and this is only set to continue, placing EV charging stations at risk.

You may ask how this impacts EV charging stations? Well, copper wiring is used within EV charging station cables because of its durability and resilience. As these stations are placed outside, they are left exposed to crime and are easy targets for thieves to access. 

The cost of replacing cables can quickly add up with a level 1 cable costing around $21. Prices then jump up quickly to $700 for a level 2 cable and $4,000 for a level 3 cable. 

With the cost of cable theft becoming a growing threat and the financial implications that fall on your workplace, you should consider the security you will be utilizing to protect them. 

The most effective method would be a mobile parking lot security solution such as our LotGuard PRO Surveillance Trailer as they can be used as both crime deterrents, standing 20 ft tall and being bright yellow in colour whilst providing 24/7/365 live monitoring with remote capabilities to assess threats and capture criminals.

Overall, the aim is to help at every stage of security, from preventing crime, stopping active incidents in their tracks, and gathering evidence that can be used in future.

Protect Your EV Charging Stations From Overheating

Due to the electricity involved with EV charging stations, there’s a risk of them overheating and this could cause a fire or other electrical safety issues.

Therefore, the best way to prevent this is to be proactive with the security and protection of your workplace EV charging stations.

With LotGuard, we offer thermal solutions that utilize fusion thermal colour imagery to measure the temperature of any objects and movement within coverage. 

This feature can track for any overheating with your EV charging stations and if it surpasses the preset trigger, it can inform the relevant personnel.

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Create an Employee Usage Policy

Like with any work process, employee policies help to provide understanding and guidance, ease management, and support with the related process. This helps keep employees safe and minimizes any risks or issues that could be created from process mismanagement.

For example, there are more EVs than charging stations available at your workplace. Having no process could create health and safety issues, as well as employee disputes. 

Before the EV charging stations can be utilized by your business, create an employee usage policy. If you are unsure how to do this, go online and research templates and policies other businesses may have.

For further support, you may wish to hire a consultant to guide you on the policy or create it on your behalf. 

EV Charging Station Best Practice Begins with LotGuard

You may not consider security as the number one on your list of priorities when installing your EV charging stations, however, it is vital in ensuring your workplace’s safety and in maintaining the support they provide.

The presence of EV charging stations places your parking lot at increased risk, including any vehicles, employees, and visitors.

Start your journey right and speak with one of our security experts today to find out how we can support your workplace EV charging stations.