Experienced charge point operators often say that the three most important factors in charging are location, location and location. A well-chosen site can reach healthy utilisation within months; a poorly chosen one may never pay back, however good the hardware. Yet many sites are still chosen because land happened to be available rather than because drivers need to charge there.
This guide sets out the criteria that matter, explains how they differ between AC and DC charging, and gives you a simple scoring model to compare candidate locations.
- Match the charger type to dwell time: DC where people stop briefly, AC where they stay for hours.
- Demand, grid capacity and lease terms are usually the deciding factors.
- Visibility, safety and amenities strongly influence whether drivers choose your site.
- Score every candidate site with the same criteria and weightings before committing.
Start with dwell time
The most useful first question is: how long do people stay here? The answer tells you which kind of charger fits.
| Typical dwell time | Example locations | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 minutes | Motorway services, fuel stations, fast-food restaurants | DC 150 kW and above |
| 30–90 minutes | Supermarkets, retail parks, gyms, cinemas | DC 50–150 kW or high-power AC |
| 2–8 hours | Offices, hotels during the day, hospitals, park and ride | AC 7–22 kW |
| Overnight | Residential streets, apartment buildings, hotels | AC 3.7–11 kW |
Putting an expensive fast charger where cars park all day wastes capital; putting a slow AC charger at a motorway stop frustrates drivers.
Demand criteria
- Traffic volume: daily vehicle counts on the adjacent road and the share of through traffic.
- Local EV adoption: registered electric vehicles in the area and their growth rate.
- Home charging gaps: areas with many apartments and on-street parking create strong demand for public charging.
- Fleets nearby: taxi ranks, delivery hubs and car-sharing zones can provide steady daily volume.
- Competition: nearby chargers, their power, price and reliability. A gap in the network is better than a crowded cluster.
Technical criteria
Grid capacity
Check available capacity with the network operator early. A site that needs a new medium-voltage connection can take many months and cost as much as the chargers. Load management can stretch existing capacity; see our guide to smart charging and load management.
Distance to the supply
Every metre between the electrical supply and the chargers adds cabling and civil works. Our charging station cost guide shows how quickly installation costs rise.
Connectivity
Chargers need a stable connection to the management system. Check mobile coverage, especially in underground car parks, or plan for wired networking.
Space and access
Bays should be large enough, accessible for vans if needed, and arranged so cables reach the charging port of different car models. Plan access for maintenance vehicles and, for DC sites, space for transformers and cabinets.
Driver experience criteria
- Visibility: can drivers see the chargers from the road and find them easily on site?
- Safety and lighting: drivers, often alone at night, prefer well-lit, open locations.
- Amenities: toilets, food, coffee and Wi-Fi make waiting pleasant, especially at DC sites.
- 24/7 access: barriers, opening hours and parking fees can exclude many users.
- Accessibility: step-free access and space for drivers with reduced mobility.
Commercial criteria
- Lease terms: length, rent or revenue share, exclusivity and what happens at the end of the term.
- Host motivation: retailers and hotels that value charging as a footfall driver are better long-term partners.
- Permits: planning rules, heritage areas and local authority requirements.
- Subsidies: some funding programmes target specific areas, roads or underserved regions.
A simple site scoring model
Score each candidate from 1 to 5 on each criterion, multiply by the weight and add up the result. Adjust the weights to your strategy.
| Criterion | Weight (DC hub) | Weight (AC destination) |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic and demand | 25% | 20% |
| Dwell time fit | 10% | 20% |
| Grid capacity and cost | 20% | 10% |
| Visibility and access | 15% | 15% |
| Amenities and safety | 10% | 10% |
| Competition | 10% | 10% |
| Lease and host terms | 10% | 15% |
A scoring model does not replace judgement, but it makes discussions concrete and prevents a single attractive feature from hiding serious weaknesses. Include the scores in your business plan so investors can see how sites were chosen.
Learn from your own data
Once you operate several sites, your own data becomes the best predictor. Compare utilisation, revenue and fault rates across sites and look for the characteristics shared by the best performers. Our guide to increasing charger utilisation explains which metrics to track.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best location for an EV charging station?
There is no single best location. Fast chargers work best on busy routes with short stops and good amenities; AC chargers work best where people park for hours, such as workplaces, hotels and residential areas.
How important is grid capacity when choosing a site?
Very important, especially for DC hubs. A costly or slow grid connection can make an otherwise good site unviable. Check capacity with the network operator before signing a lease.
Should I avoid locations with existing chargers?
Not necessarily. Existing chargers prove demand, but if they are busy and reliable, a nearby site will compete directly. Look for gaps in coverage or for locations where current chargers are often full or out of service.
How long should a site lease be?
Long enough to recover the investment, often ten years or more for DC sites, with clear terms for renewal and for removing equipment at the end.
Compare performance across all your sites in one dashboard and use the data to choose the next one. Explore Üreticy OCPP software or contact us to discuss your expansion plans.