How LilyPad EV takes care of EV charging station installation from start to finish, and beyond

EV Charging Station Installation

When potential clients reach out to LilyPad EV, they’re curious about a lot of things. This is natural, as electric vehicle charging is still a relatively new industry. If you haven’t been involved since the ground floor –like we have– then you probably have a lot of questions. 

Six tips for finding an EV charger installer

LilyPad EV has unrivaled experience installing commercial EV charging stations, and we pride ourselves on guiding clients throughout the EV charging station installation process.

Read on to learn how we lead our clients from the beginning of their projects through completion and beyond. You can also reach out to experience the difference LilyPad EV makes for each of our clients first-hand.

Initial consultation

Potential clients come to us with varying levels of knowledge on EV charging stations. Our first goal is to clearly understand the client’s needs and expectations, and then we tailor our approach to match their unique needs. 

Some common questions we ask during this initial consultation include:

  • Why are you considering installing EV charging stations?
  • What are your goals for your EV charging stations?
  • What benefits do you expect from the stations?   
    • ROI from sale of electricity
    • More sales from your normal business
    • Attract/keep tenants or employees? 
    • Attract more customers? 
    • Help meet corporate sustainability goals? 
    • Support your own electric fleet drivers?
  • What kind of traffic do you expect at your business?
  • Who would be the primary users of the chargers? Customers, employees, tenants, your own fleet drivers, highway travelers?
  • How long would the typical driver be at the station to charge? (i.e. 15 minutes? 8 hours?)
  • How many stations do you think you might need now and how many might you need in the future?
  • Do you plan on charging a fee to drivers?
  • Will this be for shared parking or assigned parking?

These questions, and others, help us determine realistic expectations for your EV charging stations. We want to have a detailed, meaningful conversation about your business and your EV charging goals. 

With this information we can offer recommendations as to quantity and type of stations as well as installation guidelines.  And if you wish we can provide installation.. 

Understanding your options

It’s important to understand the different options available for your EV charging station installations. At LilyPad EV, we install Level 2 and Level 3 commercial charging stations, and both provide different sets of benefits. 

  • Level 2 Charging: This is the standard for commercial EV charging stations. Level 2 charging stations will charge cars nearly 4-5 times faster than Level 1 stations, with about 25 miles of travel or more per hour of charging. Ideal for public, fleet or commercial EV charging.   This is good for drivers with a longer dwell time, perhaps 1- 8 hours.
  • Level 3 Charging / DCFC / Fast DC: The fastest option for charging, these DC stations can provide 250 miles of driving range or more per hour of charging or more. Typically used along highway corridors, Level 3 charging stations enable traveling for longer distances. They’re also installed in other places such as c-stores or quick turn fleet depots where drivers need a fast charge. These are good for quick turnaround charging such as topping off a nearly empty battery in ½ hour or less so the driver can get back on the road quickly.

We are an exclusive Tier 3 Channel Partner for ChargePoint, the top charging station manufacturer in North America. ChargePoint EV charging stations are quality products with options that fit all needs and provide great support.

Setting realistic goals

With EV charging stations, your return on investment isn’t measured only by the revenue from charging stations. Other benefits include:

  • Attracting drivers that may not otherwise stop at your establishment  
  • Increased sales of your normal products 
  • Longer retention of employees or tenants  
  • Meeting corporate sustainability goals
  • And more

Clients installing level 3 Fast DC stations, typically on highway corridors, may see a higher direct ROI from their stations. This also depends on the frequency of use and location of the stations, as well as other factors. 

Benefits of installing EV charging stations in 2021

Installation planning

If you would like us to do installation, after setting realistic expectations through detailed conversations with our clients, it’s time to start the planning process. 

Site visit

One of the first steps for planning is a site visit. LilyPad EV will coordinate a site visit with a qualified electrician and an owner’s representative from your organization. If there’s new electric service needed to accommodate your EV charging stations, a utility company representative will also join the visit. LilyPad EV will handle all of the coordination. 

During this site visit, we will determine the best placement for your charging stations and gather information needed for a turnkey quote. The placement of the stations will balance installation cost, visibility and usefulness to EV drivers, traffic flow in the parking lot, proximity to power and other factors.

Sending a quote

After gathering all of the information from the site visit, we will send you a turnkey quote for the project. This quote will help you understand everything about the cost of your equipment, services, and warranty. It will also cover the details of the design, installation and make-ready costs. 

Make-ready means the completion of all necessary electrical infrastructure for bolt down and powering of the charging stations. It includes the conduit and wire pulled to the station location(s), as well as the completion of concrete work for mounting the stations, and any needed supporting electrical gear.

Installation cost includes installing charging stations at the already prepared site when make-ready is complete.

Installation

After you accept the quote it’s time to get the installation underway. We will order the necessary gear and schedule the electrician for the make-ready and installation. We ship the equipment either to your business or to the electrician who will be doing the installation. 

Once the equipment arrives, our installer will take care of the installation for you, including coordinating with the utility company if needed.

The rest of the installation will just require coordination between the electrician and the facility. We will take care of everything, including any trenching or boring as required.  

On-site electricians

If your organization employs an on-site electrician, you are more than welcome to have them do  the make-ready and/or installation. Our team uses qualified electricians with experience installing charging stations. This tends to be the easiest way for you and this lets you stay focused on your core business. 

If you choose to use your own electrician, we’ll gladly talk to them and give them the information they need to perform the installation. This includes the required training certification class. Regardless, the station will get set up on the ChargePoint network.

After activation

Your infrastructure is taken care of and your stations are activated and ready to charge cars. That doesn’t mean our job is done. 

There are still several steps that LilyPad EV will guide you through.

Connecting to the ChargePoint Network

A benefit of installing ChargePoint charging stations is access to the ChargePoint Network to manage your charging stations. 

ChargePoint’s Network makes it easy to manage all of your charging stations from your web browser. This ensures that ChargePoint can quickly respond to any issues that may pop up at any station you own. You can also delegate access to station management tools to your property manager, facility manager, or another appropriate representative. 

The ChargePoint Network is also beneficial for drivers accessing your stations. They can sign up for a “virtual queue” to charge if all spaces are full, and EV drivers can even pay the station from their phone to begin charging. 

LilyPad EV will show you how to use the ChargePoint Network to manage and operate your systems. 

Continued support and maintenance

After your installation is complete and you’re comfortable using the ChargePoint Network, LilyPad EV is still here to support you. This includes answering any questions you may have or, along with ChargePoint, responding to any maintenance issues you may face. We won’t leave you stranded after the sale. 

A great perk of the ChargePoint Network with the Assure extended parts/labor warranty is its continued monitoring and self-maintenance. If a station goes down, an automated problem ticket is created and addressed by ChargePoint. If a driver or owner notices a problem, then ChargePoint does remote triage and repair and dispatches a technician to take care of the issue. Oftentimes, a station owner might not even notice an issue before seeing a truck out working to fix the problem. 

Your trusted advisors through the EV charging station installation process

Of the many reasons to trust LilyPad EV with your commercial EV charging station installation, our experience stands above the rest. The broad knowledge we’ve gained since forming in 2009 just can’t be beat. We’ve been here since the beginning of the EV market and are 100% focused on EV charging. We provide smart turnkey solutions to meet your EV charging needs, no matter the size of your project.

If you want a trusted advisor to navigate the EV charging world, LilyPad EV is the right choice. We are committed to putting our customers’ interests first. 

Contact us today to find out more about how LilyPad EV’s commercial EV charging stations can improve your business now, and tomorrow.