No, the CSE1 is designed with a SAE J1172 Type 1 Charging interface, which is a standard industry connector that all EVs are compatible with.
According to a survey report from 2020, over 71% of U.S. drivers would consider buying an electric vehicle, this represents a huge market for auto dealerships to exploit. However, as an auto dealership owner, you need to be prepared to make use of this new and expanding market, by taking a step into modernizing the infrastructure of your business to make it EV ready.
Car dealerships will have vehicles parked for long periods of time, making them ideal for long-term charging, however, having multiple EV charging stations installed and connected at the same time can present some important downsides. Let’s find out what issues might show up and how the Electric Vehicle Master Controller (EVMC) can address them.
Productivity Monitoring
The traditional approach for non-networked EV charging station installations leaves the power consumption from the EVs unmonitored and unmanaged. This is an important downside for the salesperson since he/she needs an easy and attractive way to present vehicle features to potential customers in a showroom.
The EVMC approaches this issue by providing a full monitoring and energy management functionality that allows monitoring important parameters like voltage, current, power, and energy demand over time. Not only that, but also enables the user to manage power flows and adjust programmable settings that allow selecting different charging strategies. This offers a valuable, interactive, and easy way to showcase EV charging and to address the most frequently asked questions that customers might have regarding having an electric vehicle.
Peak Demand Charges
Another common issue that auto dealerships would face when connecting multiple EV charging stations is a substantial increase in power demand.
Electric vehicles are high-current applications that can demand 40A per branch circuit or even more depending on the charger type. When many EV charging stations are connected to the same meter (as would be the case on a car dealership), this will represent a substantial increase in peak power demand, and therefore, will be associated with high demand charges from the utility that will be added monthly to your balance sheet.
The EVMC solves this problem by setting a programmable and rotational charging schedule for EV stations that uses a single 40A branch circuit and distributes the power from this circuit among up to 4 EV charging stations.
While in the traditional approach, charging 4 EVs at the same time will involve increasing the instantaneous power demand to 160A (very probably increasing demand charges), by using the EVMC you will keep EV power consumption from the utility at a minimum, demanding only 40A from a single branch circuit. This virtually reduces peak demand by up to 4 times and reduces costs associated.
Electrical Infrastructure Upgrades
Finally, a very important issue that can arise from the installation of multiple EV charging stations is the need for electrical infrastructure upgrades. This is highly variable and depends on the ratings of the existing main electrical panel, feeder, and transformer. Considering that typical loads in car dealerships involve lighting, outlets, and HVAC loads, there may be enough rating capacity available to accommodate a couple of EV charging stations.
However, if the dealership owner aims to the future and wants to provide an entire fleet of electric vehicles, then he will need several EV charging stations to keep the EVs charged and ready for rent. In that case, electrical infrastructure upgrades will probably be necessary and if this particularly involves the power transformer, the process can be slow and highly expensive.
Nevertheless, by installing an EVMC you will potentially be able to avoid these expensive upgrade costs while at the same time installing several EV charging stations by using the existing electrical infrastructure of your building. This is possible thanks to its rotational load power distribution management that uses a single line circuit from the main panel to power up to 4 charging stations at the same time. This minimizes the number of spare circuits required in the existing electrical panel to power EVs and also minimizes the electric current demand which highly reduces the chances of requiring an electrical infrastructure upgrade due to increased amperage.
Showcase EV Charging and Increase Sales
While customers will have many questions about having an EV that could be answered directly, there is nothing better than showing the customer, on the sale-spot, everything that they need to know about the charging and management process.
An electric car charging station dealership will be ready for customers to take a look and feel the experience of having an EV. This not only relieves concerns that potential customers may have but also increases the chances of making a sale.
Attract New Customers
Having an electric car charging station dealership provides additional benefits that not even today’s car dealerships have. By setting up a public EV charging station within your dealership you will be able to bring new potential customers who need to stop by to charge their EV.
While in regular dealerships customers go specifically because they need to get a vehicle, an electric car charging station dealership will increase the traffic volume of your business and give sales reps the chance to catch potential customers’ interest with new models and developments.
Make A Profit
In addition to the previous benefits, you will also be able to set pricing for the kWh consumed. Besides, you will bring brand awareness to your dealership company because it is green-mind oriented and has an electric charging station, which could also turn into sales and profits.
EV charging stations are very simple to use.
The transportation is going through a complete revolution process and the businesses who do not adapt to the new changes will be left out of the market. Of course, we are talking about electric vehicles, which will be replacing gas-based cars sooner than what everybody thinks. Actually, the European Union has already announced a ban on new sales of petrol and diesel cars from 2035 while Biden’s administration has set a new national target to make EVs represent half of all new car sales by 2030. This is just the beginning as similar measures are expected to expand across the world in the following years.
This is why auto-dealerships need to start thinking about changing their traditional fossil fuel based cars to electric vehicles. They do not only provide higher environmental benefits but also increase our independence from foreign natural resources. However, business owners also need to get ready for this change and think about what it means to have an EV fleet for sale. There is no doubt that business owners will need to start considering having an electric car charging station dealership.
Moreover, while selecting equipment that simply charges the electric vehicles is okay, this is just a basic requirement. Smart EV charging stations like the CSE1 provide several benefits that will add substantial value to your EV charging needs. Not only management capabilities but also user-friendly applications and higher power ratings. Let us see some of these extra benefits.