EV charging at forecourts: planning the complete visit
Plan an EV charging project around the driver journey, local accessibility requirements, power constraints and transparent economics.
Forecourt News EditorialA planning framework, not a site design certification. US Access Board recommendations are US-specific; check applicable local requirements.
Define the customer visit
Describe who is expected to use the site, when they arrive and how charging fits around the retail offer. Treat expected demand and additional store spending as assumptions until there is evidence. Keep charging revenue separate from food or store revenue so neither is counted twice.
Walk the route
Review the journey from entering the site to parking, reaching the connector and controls, paying and returning to the vehicle. The US Access Board recommendations examine accessible charging features and routes. Use that document in its stated scope and verify which requirements apply locally before approving a layout.
Validate power and service assumptions
Ask providers to document connection constraints, power sharing, maintenance responsibilities and fault escalation. A nominal charger rating is not a forecast of every session. Record the conditions behind supplier demonstrations and projections. Test payment, charging, receipts and failure recovery as one complete visit.
Make the business case inspectable
Separate energy sold, selling price, electricity cost, variable fees, fixed costs and initial investment. Identify whether taxes, financing, demand charges, grid upgrades and replacement costs are included. Test lower demand too. The contribution planner supports first-pass arithmetic; it is not a forecast.
Take the checklist to your next review
- Define expected customers and demand assumptions
- Walk the bay-to-controls-to-store route
- Confirm applicable local accessibility requirements
- Document connection and power-sharing constraints
- Separate charging and store economics
- Assign maintenance and fault ownership
- Test payment, charging, receipts and failure recovery
Original references
US Access Board: accessible EV charging station design recommendations ↗Test your assumptions in the charging contribution planner →