MultiHub Forum

I'm a facilities manager for a mid-sized corporate office park, and we've been tasked with developing a plan to install EV charging infrastructure in our parking garage to support employees and visitors. I'm struggling to determine the right scale, type of chargers, and how to manage access, billing, and future expansion. For other property managers or business owners who have implemented this, what was your decision-making process for choosing between Level 2 and DC fast chargers, and how did you handle the electrical capacity assessment and potential need for a service upgrade? I'm also concerned about long-term maintenance, software management platforms, and creating a fair usage policy that prevents chargers from being monopolized by a few individuals.

Phase 1 planning basics that tend to work in office garages: start with a power/space survey, then roll out a small, deliverable set of Level 2 charging ports (typically 4–8 stalls) to gauge demand. Pick 208–240V units with 30–32A circuits so each charger can deliver a usable rate without blasting your feeder. Use a networked charger with centralized management for access control, usage reporting, and firmware updates. Plan a staged expansion to 2–3 more stalls or add DC fast chargers only if occupancy and dwell time justify it. Consider a simple access policy (employee vs guest) and a clear reservation/holding period to minimize monopolization. A rough budget ballpark is tens of thousands for hardware and wiring, plus a modest annual software/license cost.