EV Charging Installations for Fleets, Commercial Sites and Public Chargers 

This quick guide will help you prepare an electric vehicle charging solution that meets the needs of your employees and customers. We will outline the SA Power Networks recommendations and requirements to enable a quick and simple connection.  

Charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, especially in fleets and heavy vehicles, could significantly increase your electricity demand and add considerable load to the distribution network. It is important you follow these steps to best prepare and avoid unnecessary blockers in connecting EV chargers. For example, the type of chargers you choose, and the location of those chargers can substantially affect the cost and speed of network connection. 

Here’s what we recommend as preparation for the connection process: 

Step 1: Understand your customer and community charging needs 

• Consider things like: 
  • How many vehicles will you want to charge at any one time? 
  • When do you expect the peak demand for charging to be? 
  • How quickly do you need those vehicles to charge? 
  • What type of vehicles will be used (consider the battery size, maximum charge rate, charge plug type, maximum charge rate, bi-directional charging (V2G) capability, etc) 
  • What is the planned utilisation schedule of the vehicles? 
  • What amenities (e.g. food, rest, leisure, tourism) are nearby? 
  • Is this a typical pass-through location, or a final destination? 
     

Step 2: Size your charging infrastructure to meet your customer charging needs (consider engaging an energy consultant at this stage) 

• Consider things like: 
  • How many charging points will you need? 
  • What rate of charge is required by each charging point? 
• Keep in mind that the fastest charger may not always suit your needs. For example, a site that has vehicles parked for hours at a time may benefit from slower charging rates that charge over a longer period. Because not all vehicles need to be fully recharged every day, you may not need one charge point per vehicle. These considerations in efficient charging design can help you reduce costs and time to connect.  
• An energy consultant may be helpful in this initial stage to right-size your equipment. There are several consultants specialising in Electric Vehicles, or else refer to our list of accredited external contractors for a guide.
   

Step 3a for new connections: Select an appropriate site 

• If you are selecting a new site location for an EV Charger, you will likely require a new connection. Before committing to a site, we recommend you first consult the SA Power Networks' Network Visualisation Portal* (requires registration) for a high level feasibility of the High Voltage available capacity. Please note the following: 
  • Hosting capacity information is indicative only and may be higher or lower than shown. 
  • Conditions and context are provided within the portal and should be appropriately considered. 
  • This information is provided for reference only and should not be treated as firm advice from SA Power Networks. 
• Connection times and costs depend heavily on the extent of civil works and network augmentation required at your chosen site. We recommend engaging SAPN early to provide high level advice/feasibility of sites you are considering before committing to a site. 
   

Step 3b for existing sites: Consider the electricity infrastructure onsite and engage SA Power Networks for a high-level feasibility assessment 

• If you are building an EV charger on a site with an existing network connection, consider the Agreed Maximum Demand (AMD) of your site. This can be found by reviewing the current limiting device on your switchboard, reviewing previous offer letters from SAPN, or reviewing your meter data. Determine if the proposed addition of EV charging load will push your site above the current AMD. If so, you will require a connection alteration request. This may have implications on your electricity tariff.  
• If the proposed load increase pushes your site above the current AMD, consider introducing a load management system that could potentially avoid increasing the AMD. An energy consultant may be able to help with this site design.  
• Consider the metering requirements for your installation. SAPN may consider a new service point for separate metering of EV chargers in certain circumstances.  
• Consider any existing or proposed energy generation onsite, for example Battery Storage Systems (BESS) that support the EV charger load.  
• We recommend engaging SAPN early to provide high level advice/feasibility of the scope, design, and sites you are considering before seeking a formal quote.  
   

Step 4: Select an appropriate location for the charger within your site 

• The distance between your charging infrastructure and existing network equipment can significantly impact the time and cost of network connection. Consider where the existing electrical infrastructure is on site. Contact your electrical consultant or a SA Power Networks Customer Solutions Manager if you are unsure.  
• By discussing your expectations and scope early with a SA Power Networks Customer Solutions Manager, we can prepare our resources appropriately and provide high level advice/feasibility of proposed sites. 
   

Step 5: Consider any onsite generation 

• If your site has grid-interactive generators (e.g. a Battery or Solar) then you must also submit an application for Embedded Generation. Links to the application page, and guides for different sizes of Embedded Generation can be found on our installer pages.  
• Please consider the operating philosophy of this asset, including if it will be exporting to the grid. 
   

Step 6: Get connected  

• Now you know what infrastructure you need, where you want to put it, if the new load fits within your existing AMD, and what network configuration you require.  
• For individual sites, you can find the relevant Customer Solutions Manager for your area and approximate lead times at the bottom of our Negotiated Connections Explainer. Your electrician or energy consultant will then need to submit a new connection or alteration request on our connection's portal.  
• If you are considering a larger rollout across many sites, please contact the SA Power Networks EV Public Charge Network account manager: networkmanagers@sapowernetworks.com.au. Provide the following data in your request: 
  • The proposed connection addresses and locations, marked on a map  
  • Your expected calculated maximum demand for electricity (measured in Amps)  
  • The type and number of chargers you would like to connect  
  • Details of any existing infrastructure available on the site, such as National Metering Identifiers (NMIs) or existing connections points – which can be located on an electricity bill from your retailer  
     

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For more information on Electric Vehicles and charging infrastructure, check out our EV Pages.  

For guidance on installing residential EV Chargers, refer to our residential EV installation page.  

EV Connection Contact details: 

For individual sites, you can find the relevant Customer Solutions Manager for your area at the bottom of our Negotiated Connections Explainer.  

If you are considering a larger rollout across many sites, please contact the SA Power Networks EV Public Charge Network account manager: networkmanagers@sapowernetworks.com.au. 

*Disclaimer: This information is provided for reference only and should not be treated as firm advice from SA Power Networks. SA Power Networks accepts no responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of this data and may amend or update this at any time. SA Power Networks accepts no responsibility for any costs or losses incurred by the customer based on the provided information. Customers are strongly encouraged to not procure or invest in any equipment based on the information provided in the DAPR portal or any supporting documents. Indication of system strength is derived using the methodology outlined in AEMO’s System Strength Impact Assessment Guidelines, considering the existing and approved/committed generating sources on the zone substations and upstream network. Other speculative generation connection enquiries have not been considered and system strength indicator is subject to change based on future customer connections and changing network conditions. The calculated system strength assumes a direct connection to the substation bus and is expected to reduce significantly the further your proposed connection point is from the substation.