As the plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) market expands, businesses will want to capitalize on opportunities to draw PEV drivers to their locations. This will require the installation of EV charging stations and a proactive approach to market the charging opportunity to consumers. Here you will find information on installing charging stations, utility rates, energy management systems and more.

Resources for Businesses

PEV PlanningIn the SDG&E service area, business owners and owners of multiunit housing developments can get advice on bringing electric vehicle infrastructure to their businesses or housing developments.
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Information on workplace charging and the impacts of EV charging on electricity use is covered in this video.

Energy management systems at most large businesses and retail operations should be able to handle the increased load from EV charging. But for small businesses, it may require additional infrastructure. All businesses need to be aware of demand charges.

SDG&E says a demand charge is:

A way for the utility to charge your fair share of infrastructure based on how fast you need your energy. If everyone else uses a low and slow amount of electricity, there is no demand charge. If one person needs a faster amount of electricity they have to pay for those system upgrades through a demand charge.

For example, if you have a 5 gallon bucket and you all want to fill it up slowly with a garden hose, it will cost everyone $5. However, if you want to fill it up much faster and need a $5,000 fireman’s hose to do it, you will have to pay for that instead of having everyone else pay.
PEV Planning

If you own, rent or manage multiunit housing, and customers have expressed interest in installing EV charging equipment, SDG&E has a great step-by-step process.

 

If you’re a Southern California Edison customer, multiunit property owners and HOAs will find information on how they can offer safe, reliable and cost-effective electric vehicle charging for their tenants.

Coulomb’s ChargePoint America program has shipped more than 2,400 public and commercial charging stations under its $37 million ChargePoint America program in 10 regions across the U.S., including three regions in California: Sacramento, the Bay Area/San Jose and LA. The program will eventually provide up to 4,500 charging stations to participants throughout the country. Learn about ChargePoint’s 5 Most Critical Requirements for Providing EV Charging.

With approximately one-third of California’s residents living in multiunit dwellings (MUDs) and roughly 80% of PEV charging taking place at home, understanding the challenges of installing EVSE at MUDs will improve future PEV adoption. The PEV Collaborative provides a simple guideline for helping MUDs become PEV ready.

The PEV Collaborative 10 Steps to Install Workplace Charging.

Clean Cities PEV Handbook for Public Charging Station Hosts. This 20-page guide provides information on charging equipment, installation considerations, station design, payment models and more.

PGE PluginA quick overview for landlords, homeowner associations or renters on how to “plug-in.”
PEV Planning

Information for PG&E customers interested in offering electric vehicle charging for their employees or customers, fleet charging or public charging.

 

 

 

 

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Southern California Edison (SCE) customers can find information on the benefits of installing EV charging stations at businesses and residential housing units.

 

PEV Planning

Excellent resource for SCE customers interested in how EV chargers affect their electricity rates and energy management system.

 

PGE PluginInterested in learning about receiving LEED points for charging stations?
PEV PlanningWhat are some of the costs for people to charge their vehicles at your station? Goelectricdrive.com is a helpful resource.

GoElectricDrive.com provides an extensive list of approved EVSE Vendors/Manufacturers currently selling EV charging stations.

All products listed on the website meet nationally recognized testing laboratory approval recommendations for use in the public domain.

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Looking for more tips on how to electrify your business? Check out EV Solutions’ recommendations.

Private property owners are not restricted in their choice of signs placed on their property, provided those signs do not impact the public right-of-way, as set forth in the CA MUTCD, or unless the signs are otherwise regulated by your local jurisdiction.

Plugin Recharge has links to retailers selling various EV charging station and EV parking signs.