Introduction

This topic describes how to design a project site for the ChargePoint® CPF50 charging station for electric vehicles. This includes guidelines and best practices for electrical infrastructure and capacity planning, construction and concrete work required prior to installation of charging stations, and cellular signal requirements.

For full specifications and certifications for CPF50 charging stations, refer to the CPF50 Datasheet found online at: ChargePoint Product Reference Documentation.

Initial Site Guidelines

ChargePoint recommends the CPF50 charging station solution for fleet/depot installations and multi-family residential properties. A networked CPF50 charging station installation allows property managers to have complete control of the charging station policies, including who can use the stations and how much drivers pay to use the stations.

An onsite evaluation is needed to determine conduit and wiring requirements from the panel to the proposed parking spaces, construction and concrete requirements for mounting the charging stations, as well as to measure cellular signal levels for the Gateway (if required) and identify suitable locations for any necessary cellular signal booster equipment.

Electrical Requirements

Review the CPF50 Datasheet at ChargePoint Product Reference Documentation. Each Level 2 charging station requires:

  • A dedicated single phase electrical circuit.

  • A new dual pole breaker circuit breaker at the electrical panel.

  • Conductor wiring sized in accordance with the National Electric Code requirement for 125% capacity for continuous load for all branch circuits from panel to stations via raceway or conduit.

    The CPF50 delivers up to 50 A per charging station. Determine the amperage rating of the circuit to install based on the desired amperage to be delivered:

    Circuit Rating

    Charging Current

    70 A

    50 A

    60 A

    48 A

    50 A

    40 A

    40 A

    32 A

    30 A

    24 A

    20 A

    16 A

If power capacity is limited at a site or to reduce costs for electrical infrastructure, consider ChargePoint Power Management options for power sharing at the circuit level, panel level, transformer, or site level.

Cellular Connectivity

The CPF50 charging station has its own cellular connection. Earlier models of CPF50 require that the ChargePoint Gateway is installed for cellular connectivity. To determine whether the CPF50 model has its own cellular connectivity, look for the label at the bottom of the station, which indicates the model name. A model name with CPF50-K will have a cellular modem, while a model name with CPF50 will require the ChargePoint Gateway for cellular connection. If the ChargePoint Gateway is required, each CPF50 must be installed within 45 m (150 ft) of the Gateway within line of sight.

A strong cellular connectivity is required to allow ChargePoint to communicate with the station. A connection is needed for station owners and operators to access these features:

  • User authentication, access control, and billing

  • Energy usage reporting

  • Charging station utilization 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 prior to pricing increases for overstay of parking at EVClosed Electric Vehicle spots

  • Station fault alarms and remote diagnostic capability

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


    If you have preexisting infrastructure or are using your own preferred electrical contractor to prepare your site, a Site Validation by a ChargePoint Operations and Maintenance (O&M) partner is required to certify compliance with electrical specification requirements, and to ensure everything was prepared to ChargePoint specifications.

Always check local codes or consult an engineer to ensure the site is prepared in compliance with all applicable regulations. Local authorities might not allow a unit to operate if it is not installed to code.

Charging Station Placement

The charging station must be installed on a level concrete base or a flat wall rated for the weight of the station. Asphalt cannot support the full weight of the station. Failure to install the station on a suitable surface may cause the station to tip over, resulting in death, personal injury, or property damage.

Layout Considerations

  • Identify station locations for EVClosed Electric Vehicle charging spots.

  • To help minimize 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 minimize linear conduit costs to all proposed EVClosed Electric Vehicle parking spaces.

  • If possible, avoid or minimize 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 mount stations or suitable floor surfaces for pedestal mount stations.

  • Consider ADA compliance. The charging station must not block ramps or pathways, and cables should not extend across ramps or pathways when connected to a vehicle.

  • 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 mount stations where possible in open areas for adjacent parking or adjoining parking spaces.

  • Consider protective bollards and wheel blocks 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 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.

  • Ensure that you use 16 mm2 (6 AWGClosed American Wire Gauge) or 10 mm2 (8 AWGClosed American Wire Gauge) wire to the station. If you will be feeding the station with larger wire like 25 mm2 (4 AWGClosed American Wire Gauge), you will need to splice the wire for 16 mm2 (6 AWGClosed American Wire Gauge) or 10 mm2 (8 AWGClosed American Wire Gauge). For each charging station, only three wires are required: L1, L2, and Ground.

    Neutral must be bonded to Ground upstream at the transformer or panel for each separately derived system.

  • Identify costs for any necessary upgrades and/or a new dedicated electrical panel. Size all conduit and electrical wiring in accordance with the National Electric Code requirements. ChargePoint recommends using a certified electrician to evaluate available capacity and identify any upgrades that may be required.

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

Power Management

Using ChargePoint Power Management technology, sites can install more stations than otherwise would be supported by the available electrical service. A maximum aggregate load is defined for a group of charging stations, and ChargePoint cloud-based services manage the individual power output of each station (or port) to ensure the maximum load is never exceeded.

As shipped, a CPF50 charging station provides up to 50 A of output current to each charging station.

For more information on ChargePoint Power Management considerations, see the ChargePoint Power Sharing Reference Guide.

Additional Considerations

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

  • Use dual-port pedestal mount stations where possible in open areas for adjacent or tandem parking spots. Establish the quantity of each type of charging station in the initial order.

  • Measure cellular signal levels using professional cellular test equipment to ensure adequate cellular coverage at the Gateway installation location, if required.

  • To ensure adequate cellular signal strength in underground or enclosed parking structures, cellular repeaters may be required. Use an indoor antenna located near EVClosed Electric Vehicle parking spaces and an outdoor antenna typically located at the garage entrance ceiling or on the rooftop where cellular signals are best.

  • Determine cost budget options for electrical infrastructure to satisfy current needs and future needs. Prioritize charging stations locations based upon immediate and future needs, construction timelines, and costs.

Plan for the Future

Keep in mind not only current EVClosed Electric Vehicle charging needs, but future needs as EVClosed Electric Vehicle adoption grows.

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

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