Installing an EV charging station at your business is no longer an investment you can afford to postpone — not if you want to boost employee satisfaction or open up a new revenue stream. As the number of electric vehicles on Turkey's roads keeps climbing, any business with parking space — office buildings, shopping malls, factories, residential complexes — is increasingly forced to meet this demand. So what does this investment actually cost, how does the process work, and what pitfalls should you watch out for?

This guide walks through every dimension of installing a workplace charging station — technical, financial, and administrative.

Why Install a Charging Station at Your Business?

EV ownership in Turkey has grown exponentially over the past few years. An employee or visitor leaving their car in the parking lot for the whole day is actually the most efficient charging scenario there is: if the car is going to sit there for 8-9 hours anyway, that's more than enough time for a full charge with AC (alternating current) power.

A workplace charging station delivers three concrete benefits:

Employee loyalty — For staff who drive electric vehicles, on-site charging has become an increasingly prominent line item on the benefits list.
Attracting visitors and customers — Especially for malls, hotels, and restaurants, a charging station is a tool that extends visit duration and increases spending.
Additional revenue — Stations operated under a public-access model, billed per kWh, pay for themselves within a certain period and then start generating income.

AC or DC? Choosing the Right Equipment

The most critical decision in a workplace installation is choosing between AC (slower/moderate speed) and DC (fast charging). This choice directly shapes both the cost and the use case.

AC chargers (typically 7.4 kW or 22 kW) rely on the vehicle's own onboard charger to convert the current to direct current. That makes the unit smaller, cheaper, and simpler to install. A 22 kW AC charger can fully charge a car with a 60 kWh battery in roughly 3-4 hours — more than enough for a car dropped off in the morning and picked up fully charged in the evening.

DC chargers feed direct current straight into the vehicle's battery, with the conversion happening inside the unit itself. That means much higher power output (from 30 kW up to 180 kW and beyond) and much faster charging — for example, a 120 kW DC charger can take a car from 20% to 80% in 20-30 minutes. But the equipment cost, the electrical infrastructure requirements, and the installation complexity are all several times higher than AC.

A practical rule of thumb for workplaces: where vehicles will be parked for a long stretch (over 2 hours) — offices, residential complexes, factory shifts — AC is sufficient and cost-effective. For high-traffic locations where cars only stay briefly — mall entrances, businesses on main roads, gas stations — DC makes more sense, but the investment cost is considerably higher.

Cost Breakdown: What Are You Paying For?

The total cost of installing a workplace charging station breaks down into four main categories. The figures vary by brand, power tier, and existing electrical infrastructure, but here's a general framework:

1. Equipment cost — A single 7.4 kW AC unit from a mid-tier brand runs roughly 30,000-60,000 TL. 22 kW AC units cost somewhat more. DC units range from a few hundred thousand TL up to over a million TL, depending on power output.

2. Electrical infrastructure — If the building's existing electrical panel already has sufficient capacity, this cost stays low. But in most older buildings or businesses, you'll need panel upgrades, dedicated circuit runs, and sometimes even increased transformer capacity. This item — especially for DC installations — can approach or even exceed the cost of the equipment itself.

3. Installation labor — Cable runs, mounting, grounding, testing, and commissioning. A simple AC installation can take a few days; DC installations (particularly if infrastructure work is required) can take weeks.

4. Software/operating costs — CPMS (charge point management system) subscription, RFID card system, remote monitoring. This is typically billed monthly/yearly or as a per-transaction commission.

Comparison Table

Feature	AC 7.4-22 kW	DC 30-60 kW	DC 120 kW+
Average charge time (60 kWh battery)	3-8 hours	45-90 minutes	20-35 minutes
Approximate equipment cost	30,000-80,000 TL	300,000-700,000 TL	800,000 TL - 2 million+ TL
Electrical infrastructure need	Low-moderate	Moderate-high	High (may include transformer)
Ideal use case	Office, residential complex, long parking	Moderately busy workplace	Mall, main road, high traffic
Installation time	1-5 days	1-3 weeks	3-8 weeks

The Installation Process: Step by Step

1. On-site survey. The first step is assessing the existing electrical infrastructure's current capacity — how many units will be installed, at what power, and how much load the panel can bear. These need to be clear from the outset.

2. Application to the distribution company. For installations above a certain power threshold (particularly DC and multi-unit AC stations), you'll need to apply to your regional electricity distribution company for additional power capacity. This process can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the power requested and the local transformer capacity — which is why it should be the very first step in project planning.

3. Electrical project and approvals. Preparation of the electrical installation project, the necessary engineering sign-offs, and — where applicable — building management or municipal permits.

4. Physical installation. Cable laying, panel connection, equipment mounting, grounding tests.

5. CPMS integration and commissioning. Connecting the unit to the charge management platform, defining billing/access rules, and running test charges.

6. Going live. Operational decisions — whether the unit will be public or restricted to employees/tenants, and whether access will be via RFID or QR code — get finalized at this stage.

All told, a simple AC installation (if existing infrastructure is sufficient) can be completed within 1-2 weeks, while a full-scale DC project requiring a distribution company application can take 2-4 months.

Operate It Yourself, or Partner with an Operator?

Business owners generally choose one of two paths:

Buy and operate your own equipment: The capital investment belongs to the business, but so do the ongoing operational burdens — maintenance, software, technical fault tracking.
Partner with a charging operator: The operator installs and runs the equipment, and the business owner earns revenue through site rent or revenue sharing. This model is particularly attractive for businesses (supermarkets, malls, residential management) whose core business isn't charging infrastructure, since it reduces capital risk.

Whichever model you choose, the key thing to watch for is that the unit is connected to a CPMS infrastructure that allows remote monitoring and rapid response to faults — otherwise, a station that "looks broken" means both reputational damage and lost revenue.

Is the Payback Period Realistic?

The payback period for an AC station operated under public access varies significantly based on the per-kWh price, utilization rate, and location traffic. In a high-traffic location (residential complex entrance, business center parking lot), the investment can pay for itself within a few years; in a low-traffic location, that period can stretch out considerably. For DC investments, the higher equipment cost generally means a longer payback period — but because per-kWh transaction volume is also much higher, the right location can generate revenue faster.

The single most critical factor here is location: a spot with high traffic and a parking duration that matches the use case (short or long) is the main driver of payback, independent of the unit's power rating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need separate permission from the building owner to install a charging station? Yes. If you're a tenant, or operating in a space under a residential complex or mall management, you'll need written approval from building/site management for any modification to the electrical infrastructure and for mounting the equipment. You should also clarify in advance how costs will be shared if power is being drawn from a shared electrical panel.

If my current electrical subscription is sufficient, do I still need to apply to the distribution company? If your current subscribed power capacity can cover the additional load the new unit will draw, you may not need to apply for additional power. But don't assume this — always have an on-site survey done before installation to confirm actual available capacity. Installations done with insufficient capacity frequently lead to faults and tripped breakers.

Can I install both AC and DC units at the same time? Yes, many businesses set up a mixed model: AC for areas where vehicles park for extended periods, DC for entry/exit points that need fast turnover. This is the most common way to balance capital investment while serving different user needs (an employee's car parked all day vs. a visitor stopping briefly) at the same location.

Can I make the charging station available only to my employees, without opening it to the public? Yes, that's entirely a business decision. Using an RFID card or closed-access system, you can restrict the station to specific users (staff, tenants, subscribers) only. In that case, the revenue model is built around internal cost-sharing or treated as an employee benefit, rather than a public commercial model.

Conclusion

When planned around the right equipment choice, a realistic electrical infrastructure survey, and a clear operating model, installing a workplace charging station becomes an investment that both meets an operational need and generates revenue. As an operator running a charging network across more than 50 locations, ADZE Charge supports businesses through every stage of this process — from installation to operation.

Installing an EV Charging Station at Your Business: Cost, Process, and What to Watch For