An EV charger, in everyday use, is the equipment a driver plugs into to charge an electric vehicle. Engineers and codes call it electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), because for AC charging the device that actually converts power for the battery is inside the car.
For parking owners the distinction matters less than the decisions behind it: how many chargers, at what power, on which network, and who pays for the electricity. Those choices determine cost, customer satisfaction and whether the chargers earn their keep.
Key decisions
- Power. Level 2 for stays of a few hours or more; DC fast charging for short stays and fleets.
- Ports per charger. One cabinet may serve one, two or more ports and spaces.
- Network and software. Payment, access control and data, ideally on an open protocol. See OCPP.
- Pricing. Per kWh, per hour or per session, plus idle fees to keep spaces moving. See kW versus kWh.
- Reliability. Service contracts and uptime targets.
The Parkonomics view
Chargers are the part of EV infrastructure that wears out and improves fastest. Buy capacity for the long term and hardware for the medium term.
Related terms: EVSE, Charging Port, Charging Space, Charging Utilization, Charger Uptime