Introduction

This document describes how to design a project site for the ChargePoint CPF32 charging station for electric vehicles, using the ChargePoint Gateway for network connectivity. This includes guidelines and best practices for electrical infrastructure and capacity planning, construction and concrete work required prior to installation of charging stations and mobile signal requirements.

For full specifications and certifications for CPF32 charging stations, refer to the CPF32 Datasheet found online at: ChargePoint Product Reference Documentation.

Initial Site Guidelines

ChargePoint recommends the CPF32 charging station solution for behind-the-fence fleet and multi-family charging station installations.

An on-site evaluation is needed to determine conduit and wiring requirements from the panel to the proposed parking spaces to evaluate construction and concrete requirements for mounting the charging stations, to measure mobile signal levels for the Gateway and identify suitable locations for any necessary mobile signal booster equipment, and to ensure that the stations have good Wi-Fi Wireless Fidelity connectivity to the Gateway.

Mounting Requirements

The CPF32 can be mounted on a concrete pedestal or on a wall.

Wall mounting:

• Must be on a smooth, plumb, stable, strong wall.

• Can be mounted on wood stud, masonry or concrete walls.

Pedestal mount:

• Must be on concrete that is a minimum 600 mm wide x 600 mm long x 600 mm deep.

• Must not be installed in asphalt.

Power Supply Requirements

Review the CPF32 Datasheet at ChargePoint Product Reference Documentation.

The ChargePoint CPF32 charging station is designed to operate on rated voltages of 230 V (phase-neutral) at 50 Hz.

Each charging station requires:

• A dedicated single phase electrical circuit.

• A new circuit breaker at the electrical panel.

• A new 30-mA Type B residual current detection (RCD Residual Current Device) at the service panel.

• Electrical cable and conduit installed in the appropriate location with appropriate circuit protection and metering, in accordance with all local codes and regulations.

The CPF32 delivers up to 7.4 kW per charging port. Various options are available for power management. If a site has limited power capacity or needs to reduce costs for electrical infrastructure, consider ChargePoint power management options for power sharing at the panel, transformer or site level.

Mobile Connectivity

The CPF32 charging station connects to the ChargePoint Gateway. The Gateway is required. The Gateway needs strong mobile connectivity to allow it to communicate with the ChargePoint network and line-of-sight Wi-Fi Wireless Fidelity connectivity to communicate with each charging station. To ensure adequate signal strength in underground garages or other enclosed parking structures, mobile network repeaters may be required.

A connection is needed for station owners and operators to access these features:

• User authentication, access control and billing.

• Energy usage reporting.

• Charging station utilisation and charging session details for analytical reporting.

• Automatic power management.

• Real-time charging status to drivers using the ChargePoint mobile app or web portal.

• Ability for drivers to use the ChargePoint mobile app and Tap to Charge, Apple Pay or Android Pay on their smartphone to start and stop sessions.

• Notifications to drivers when vehicle battery is full or stops charging.

• Notifications to drivers regarding waiting-list position.

• Notifications to drivers prior to pricing increases for overstay of parking at EV Electric Vehicle spots.

• Station fault alarms and remote diagnostic capability.

• Over-the-air software upgrades for new station features or enhancements.

If you have pre-existing infrastructure or are using your own preferred electrical contractor to prepare your site, a completed Construction Sign-off Form is required to certify compliance with electrical specification requirements and to ensure that everything was prepared to ChargePoint specifications.

Charging Station Placement

Layout Considerations

• Identify station locations for EV Electric Vehicle charging spots.

• To help minimise costs, choose station locations that are as close as possible to the available electrical infrastructure.

• Determine raceway or conduit runs for electrical wiring from the electrical panel and consider a layout to minimise linear conduit costs to all proposed EV Electric Vehicle parking spaces.

• If possible, avoid or minimise trenching requirements, especially more costly trenching to run conduit under asphalt surfaces.

• Consider locations where it will be easy to add future stations.

• Identify suitable locations with smooth, plumb surfaces for wall-mounted stations or suitable floor surfaces for pedestal-mounted stations.

• The charging station must not block ramps or pathways, and cables must not extend across ramps or pathways when connected to a vehicle. Avoid high pedestrian traffic areas such as thoroughfares and marked escape routes.

• The charging station must not be installed in close vicinity to running water, sprinklers, water jets or irrigation systems.

• Choose adjacent parking spaces in an area with adequate lighting.

• For stall parking, ChargePoint prefers using perpendicular parking stalls to better accommodate vehicles with front and rear charge ports.

  While ChargePoint tests charging stations with a majority of upcoming vehicles, ChargePoint cannot guarantee the port locations of future vehicles and cannot warrant the configurations proposed will work for all vehicles.

• Consider how easily drivers can find the stations they need to access.

• Use dual-port, pedestal-mounted stations where possible in open areas for adjacent parking or adjoining parking spaces.

• Consider protective bollards and wheel stops where appropriate, especially for open tandem parking spaces.

Electrical Considerations

• Evaluate existing electrical infrastructure to determine if the existing utility service and electrical panel capacity is sufficient.

• Ensure that the electrical wiring, overcurrent circuit protection and metering (if required) is in place by reviewing the datasheet as well as the wiring diagram and grounding requirements in this document.

• The station accepts wire sizes between 4 mm² to 16 mm². Typically, 10 mm² is used.

• The station must be grounded adequately according to local code requirements.

• Size all conduit and electrical wiring in accordance with all local code requirements. ChargePoint recommends using a certified electrician to evaluate available capacity and identify any upgrades that may be required.

• If a dedicated EV Electric Vehicle electrical panel is required, choose a panel location in close proximity to the existing electrical supply.

Additional Considerations

• Identify costs for any necessary upgrades and/or a new dedicated electrical panel.

• Determine appropriate mounting type: wall mount vs pedestal mount.

• Establish the quantity of each type of charging station in the initial order.

• Measure mobile signal levels using professional mobile test equipment to ensure adequate mobile coverage at the Gateway location.

  To ensure adequate mobile signal strength in underground or enclosed parking structures, mobile repeaters may be required. Use an indoor aerial located near EV Electric Vehicle parking spaces and an outdoor aerial typically located at the garage entrance ceiling or on the rooftop where mobile signals are best. See additional details in Connectivity.

• Determine cost budget options for electrical infrastructure to satisfy current needs and future needs.

• Prioritise charging station locations based upon immediate and future needs, construction timelines and costs.

Plan for the Future

Design and plan for current EV Electric Vehicle charging needs, but also for future needs as EV Electric Vehicle adoption continues to grow.

• Add extra capacity if electrical panels are being upgraded now.

• Use sub-panels as a way to shorten the electrical path.

• Consider running raceway or conduit to all planned EV Electric Vehicle parking spots, but pulling electrical wiring from the panel to meet the needs of currently planned stations.

• Oversize the conduit between the main electrical panel and future stations.

• Install pull or junction boxes at the end of an existing row of charging stations to ease cable pulls for future stations.

• Consider installing a dedicated electrical panel for EV Electric Vehicle charging, then leverage ChargePoint power management to efficiently use available power at a site to support more EV Electric Vehicle charging ports than would otherwise be possible without power management.