Installing EV chargers looks simple from the outside: mount the unit, connect the power, switch it on. In practice, the quality of the site survey, electrical design, approvals and after-sales service decides whether chargers run reliably for years or fail within months. These are the questions worth asking any installation partner before you sign.
Experience and track record
- How many sites like ours have you delivered, and can we speak to those customers?
- Have you installed the power levels we need, from 30 kW destination chargers to high-power or megawatt units?
- Who will actually do the work: your own team or subcontractors?
Site survey and design
- Will you carry out a load study of our existing electricity connection before recommending chargers?
- Will you tell us honestly if our connection needs an upgrade, and what that will cost?
- Does the design include room and ducting for future expansion?
- How do you plan bay layout, vehicle access, cable reach and impact protection?
Approvals and compliance
- Will you handle electricity utility (DISCOM) applications and coordinate any connection upgrade?
- Do your installations follow the applicable electrical safety regulations and standards, and will we receive test certificates at handover?
- Who obtains any local permissions needed for the site?
Hardware and software
- Are the chargers OCPP-compliant, so we can change software platforms later?
- Which charge point management system do you recommend, and who owns the data?
- Can the system support roaming (OCPI), flexible pricing and app-less payment?
- Can you supply chargers from more than one manufacturer?
Avoid being locked in. Open protocols and clear data ownership mean you can change partners or software later without replacing working hardware.
Warranty, maintenance and uptime
- What warranty covers the equipment and the installation, and who handles claims?
- Do you offer a maintenance contract with an uptime commitment and defined response times?
- Are spare parts stocked locally, and how quickly can a technician reach our site?
- Do you monitor chargers remotely, and can you fix faults without a site visit?
Cost and contract
- Is the quote complete, including civil works, cabling, approvals, commissioning and training?
- What are the yearly costs after installation: software, connectivity, maintenance?
- What happens at the end of the contract, and what documentation do we receive?
Warning signs
Be cautious of a quote given without a site visit, unclear answers about grid capacity, closed proprietary systems, no maintenance offer, or no references from completed projects. The cheapest installation often becomes the most expensive once downtime and repairs are counted.
Working with PxT
PxT Energies delivers turnkey EV charging from site survey and DISCOM coordination to installation, commissioning and long-term maintenance, on open protocols. We are happy to answer every question on this list. Contact us to arrange a site survey.