Who Needs a Dual Charging Station - and Who Doesn’t?
When we think about a private home where a single family lives, it’s unlikely that a dual-output charging station is needed. In most cases, families do not own two electric vehicles. There is statistical evidence to support this, and common sense also suggests that electric vehicles are currently more of a supplementary mode of transport rather than the primary one. There are various reasons for this, but we won’t go into them here. Even if a family owns two cars, they can typically be charged at different times.
This article focuses on other groups of charging station users:
Apartment buildings with private parking
Company parking lots with their own fleet of electric vehicles
Business premises offering charging services to employees, and possibly visitors
Business parking areas are aiming to attract more customers
Public parking areas
In such locations, it is fully justified to install charging stations with two or more outlets.
When choosing a charging station, you can get a free consultation, and you’ll find a wide product range on the website Revolta.ee.
Costs and Other Advantages of Use
It’s logical to assume that a dual-output charging station model is more expensive than a similar model equipped with only one output. However, as the number of outputs (charging points) increases, the cost of the station rises disproportionately. This means that buying one station with two outputs is more cost-effective than buying two separate single-output stations.
At the same time, it’s important to note that stations with more than one output are generally designed for commercial use, which means they typically require more features than residential models. Manufacturers are aware of this and include an expanded set of functions in these devices. Installing such a model also tends to be cheaper, as its capacity and number of outputs have little impact on the overall setup cost.
In parking lots, space can be saved by installing a single device that serves two or more parking spaces at once. This also results in savings on cables, installation work, groundwork, and concrete work.
Maximum Power Consumption
When choosing a charging station, it's important to consider whether the necessary power capacity for charging is available. In some cases, the main circuit breaker at the installation site may have a lower rating than the station's maximum charging capacity. In such situations, power balancing is required (as discussed in previous posts).
If the power directed toward charging is not limited appropriately, overloading can occur, which may trigger the circuit protection, leaving the facility without power for a period of time. Unexpected shutdowns can lead to other unpleasant consequences.
This applies even to individual stations, particularly when multiple stations are installed in one location. But in the case of a dual charging station, you are already dealing with at least two charging points in one spot. That makes power balancing even more important in these situations.
Manufacturers often provide this capability, but it is the responsibility of the charging station owner to ensure that it is available and properly used.
Accounting and Payment
Since these devices are installed in locations where different people can charge their cars, it must be possible to identify each user to ensure it’s clear who is paying for the charging service. This is typically done using an RFID tag or a charging network operator’s mobile app.
It's also important to track usage separately for each charging outlet, so that each user pays only for their own share of the service.
AC charging stations rarely support direct card payments on the device itself. More commonly, payment is made through an app linked to a preloaded account or the user's credit card.
When choosing a charging station, you can get a free consultation and find a wide selection of products on Revolta.ee.