Level 2 or DC fast charging for a business

Start with how long customers stay

The right charger delivers a useful amount of energy in the time a customer is already on the property. The table gives planning rules of thumb, not measured statistics; point-of-sale timestamps, parking records or a short count of your own visitors will give a better figure for your site.

What a visit delivers, and why the biggest charger is usually wrong

Energy delivered equals power multiplied by time. A 50 kW charger used for 45 minutes delivers about 37 kWh, roughly 110 to 130 miles of range at 3 to 3.5 miles per kWh; efficiency varies by vehicle. NYSERDA states that Level 2 charging typically adds about 25 miles of range per hour.

The car limits the rate as much as the charger does. Many EVs accept only 7 to 11.5 kW on AC, so a 19.2 kW Level 2 unit seldom delivers its full rating. On DC, charging power tapers as the battery fills, usually above about 60 to 80% state of charge, and it is lower in cold weather. Average session power therefore sits well below the nameplate figure, and planning should use the vehicle's specifications, not the charger's.

A 350 kW charger costs far more per port, usually requires 480 V three-phase service and exposes the site to large demand charges. Many NYC commercial buildings have 120/208 V service, so high-power DC can mean a new service or a transformer. It also shortens the visit, which is the opposite of what most retail hosts want. For most businesses, two to four DC units of 60 to 120 kW with power sharing serve more customers at lower cost. Level 2 is inexpensive per port and adds little to peak demand; DC is expensive per port and carries the demand charge exposure explained in our guide to demand charges in Con Edison and PSEG Long Island territory. Incentives differ as well: NYSERDA Charge Ready NY 2.0 (opens an external site) supports Level 2 only, and not at retail or restaurant parking, while the Make-Ready Program (opens an external site) required DC ports of at least 50 kW and has had its DC fast charging applications paused since April 22, 2026.

Pricing, idle fees and payment

The national model rules published by NIST (opens an external site) treat electricity sold as vehicle fuel as sold by the kWh, and they allow separately disclosed time-based fees for parking or idling. New York adopts NIST Handbook 44 through 1 NYCRR Part 220.2. Under Handbook 44 Section 3.40 (opens an external site), AC charging equipment must be accurate to within 1% at acceptance and 2% in service. DC equipment placed in service before January 1, 2025 is exempt from those tolerances until January 1, 2028; DC chargers installed now must meet the DC accuracy classes. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, which enforces these rules through its Bureau of Weights and Measures, requires that electricity sold as vehicle fuel be billed by the kWh, that the unit price be displayed, and that receipts show the energy delivered, the unit price and any separate fees (per its FAQ dated March 3, 2026 (opens an external site)).

Free charging at a busy location attracts all-day parkers. Card readers fail more often in rain and cold than owners expect, and requiring a smartphone app sends some drivers elsewhere.

• Charge a per-kWh energy price, shown on the charger before the session starts.
• Add an idle fee after the session ends, with a grace period of 5 to 10 minutes and a cap, posted on the charger and on signage.
• Provide an outdoor-rated contactless card reader at the charger, with QR code or app payment as a backup.
• Display the charging provider's contact information on each charger; the Make-Ready Program requires it for chargers committed after January 12, 2024.

Tying charging to purchases

Charging is tied to sales through the charging management software, not the charger itself. OCPP lets the charger authorize a session by ID token and apply the tariff the back-end sends; the back-end handles discounts and integration with the point-of-sale or loyalty system. Results depend on the business and the location.

• Validation codes printed on receipts and entered at the charger or in the app.
• A set amount of free or discounted kWh with a purchase, using the back-end's tariff and ID token features.
• Loyalty program integration through the back-end's API.
• Free charging limited to customers. Restricting access can change a site's publicly accessible status under incentive programs, because the Make-Ready Program defines publicly accessible as available without an access fee; review the program terms first.

Accessible spaces and site layout

The U.S. Access Board's technical guidance (opens an external site) recommends that EV spaces with accessible mobility features be at least 132 inches (11 feet) wide and 240 inches (20 feet) long, with an adjacent access aisle at least 60 inches wide along the full length. Operable parts, including the card reader and the connector release, should be no higher than 48 inches and on an accessible route. The ADA standards do not yet set a number of accessible chargers; a reasonable number is required, and the Access Board plans a rulemaking on the minimum. The guidance describes a use-last approach, in which signs ask other drivers to use the accessible charger last, rather than reserving it. Converting a required accessible parking space to EV-only use means recalculating the accessible spaces for the lot. None of the above is legal advice; NYC and NYS code requirements are confirmed with the design professional on the project.

• Place chargers near the entrance, but not in the most valuable spaces for customers without EVs.
• Protect equipment with bollards and wheel stops.
• Plan cable reach for charge ports at the front or rear and on either side; many NACS vehicles have the port at the rear left.
• Provide lighting and security cameras, and a wired network connection where cellular coverage is weak.
• Post EV-only signage that matches the property's enforcement and towing policy, and plan snow removal and drainage around the equipment.
• Install conduit stub-outs for future ports during the first trenching, which is far cheaper than opening the pavement again.

Apartment buildings and fleet depots

In multifamily buildings, load management lets many Level 2 chargers share the building's available capacity, as described in our guide to EV charging without a service upgrade. Owners also decide between assigned and shared spaces; Charge Ready NY 2.0 pays less per port for assigned spaces. Tenants can be billed by the kWh through the charging software.

For fleets, start from the energy each vehicle uses per shift and the hours it is parked. Most depots can charge overnight at Level 2 or modest DC power with scheduling, and in Con Edison territory SmartCharge Commercial pays $0.03 per kWh for charging between midnight and 8 a.m.

What to have ready for an estimate

• Average visit length and peak hours, from sales or parking records.
• Number of parking spaces, a site plan and the location of the electrical room.
• Twelve months of electric bills and the service voltage (120/208 V or 480 V).
• Who will use the chargers: the public, customers only, tenants, employees or fleet vehicles.
• How you intend to price charging and whether you want it linked to purchases.

From that we recommend a charger mix and power level, estimate the effect on your electric bill and prepare a layout. Installation is performed by licensed partner electricians, cameras and network connections come through our low-voltage service, and on larger sites we coordinate the utility, permits and trades as one project.