Understanding Government Public EV Charger

As global transportation systems move towards decarbonization, the electric vehicle (EV) industry continues its explosive growth. In 2024, the number of new public EV chargers worldwide exceeded 1.3 million, a year-on-year increase of 30%. This figure is almost equivalent to the total number of public EV chargers in the world in 2020. Public charging infrastructure is not only key to eliminating “range anxiety,” but also an energy hub supporting urban public transportation, municipal logistics, and private mobility systems. This article aims to help more people understand the public EV charger, covering government-led construction models, core technology working principles, cost structures, and user operation logic.

I. What is a Government Public EV Charger?

Government-supported public EV charging infrastructure refers to electric vehicle charging facilities planned, invested in, or constructed by the government with the guidance of private capital, and open to the public. Their core objective is to address the problem of insufficient charger coverage, solving the issues of “difficult and slow charging” for citizens. This government initiative is crucial for promoting new energy vehicles and contributing to the achievement of “dual-carbon” goals.

These EV charging stations for public are typically located in public areas such as municipal parking lots, government centers, public service venues, along highways, and parks. These facilities possess three main characteristics: public welfare, universal access, and strategic importance, making them an essential component of smart cities and green transportation systems.

Public EV chargers usually consist of either AC chargers (Level 2) or DC fast chargers, selected based on different scenarios and charging needs.

II. Common Charging Solutions for Public EV Chargers

Currently, the mainstream ev charging stations for public mainly cover the following categories:

1. EV Charging For Public Sector: Dedicated to government vehicles, such as buses, law enforcement vehicles, official vehicles, and sanitation vehicles. Typically located in government courts, public institution parking lots, and sanitation stations. Usually employs high-power DC fast chargers (60kW~320kW), supporting high-frequency, centralized charging to ensure urban operational efficiency.

2. Urban Public Convenience Chargers: The most common type of government public electric vehicle charger, open to all social electric vehicles. Typically deployed in residential areas, parks, hospitals, etc., primarily using AC slow charging (7kW), sometimes mixed with DC fast charging (30kW~120kW). This scheme emphasizes “high penetration rate, universal accessibility, and convenient payment.”

3. Intercity Highway Charging Stations: Deployed in highway service areas, primarily using super-fast charging of 180kW or higher, supporting “10 minutes of charging for 300 kilometers of range,” focusing on solving the charging anxiety of electric vehicle users on long-distance trips.

4. Integrated Photovoltaic-Energy-Storage-Charging Station: This station integrates photovoltaic power generation, energy storage systems, and intelligent charging management to achieve green energy recycling. This is the new model for the future.

III. How Do Public EV Charging Stations Work?

The public EV charging infrastructure typically utilizes a two-system approach: a transformer and a charger. The transformer first steps down the 10kV high-voltage AC power to 380V or 220V AC power. Then, the charger’s intelligent management module ensures safe and efficient charging. Taking TKT’s public EV charging solution as an example, its specific working principle is as follows:

1. Grid Connection and Conversion: The EV charging station connects to the AC grid, and the grid’s AC power is first transmitted to the charging station.

For DC fast charging infrastructure, the grid AC power is pre-converted to DC within the charger, and then directly injected into the vehicle’s battery at high voltage and high current.

For the AC charging infrastructure, the grid AC power is directly transmitted to the vehicle. The vehicle relies on its onboard charger to convert AC to DC, thereby charging the battery pack. Due to space and heat dissipation limitations, the onboard charger’s power is typically between 7kW and 22kW.

2. Intelligent Matching and Charging: After the vehicle is connected to the charger via the charging port, the EV charger automatically communicates with the vehicle’s Battery Management System (BMS) to identify the battery capacity, voltage, and remaining charge. It then dynamically adjusts the charging current and voltage to match the optimal charging curve, preventing overcharging and overheating.

3. Operation Monitoring and Safety Protection: The TKT EV charging stations for public are equipped with an intelligent management platform compliant with the OCPP 1.6J standard, which can monitor charging status, power consumption, and equipment operation in real time. The charger features more than eight safety protections (leakage protection, overcurrent protection, overvoltage protection, lightning protection, etc.), automatically cutting off power in case of abnormal conditions to ensure the safety of personnel and vehicles.

How do I Use a Public EV Charger?

1. Connection Detection: The user inserts the charging port into the vehicle, triggering a physical connection detection.

2. Communication Protocol Interaction: The charger interacts with the vehicle’s Battery Management System (BMS) to confirm battery status, voltage platform, and maximum allowable current.

3. Power Matching: According to the protocol, the charger outputs a power that is compatible with the vehicle’s battery, achieving the optimal charging curve and dynamically adjusting the power.

4. Transmission Method: DC fast charging directly charges the battery pack; AC slow charging uses an onboard charger for conversion.

5. Real-time Monitoring: The backend system collects data such as temperature, voltage, current, and insulation resistance throughout the process.

6. Safety Protection Mechanism Activation: Output is immediately cut off upon detecting any abnormalities (such as overvoltage, overtemperature, or leakage).

7. Payment and Settlement: Supports multiple methods for billing and settlement, including APP scanning and NFC cards.

IV. How Much does a Public EV Charging Station Cost​?

1. Equipment Procurement Costs: AC chargers are relatively inexpensive, while DC fast chargers are very expensive, with higher power outputs resulting in higher costs.

2. Installation and Construction: Includes land hardening, concrete construction, cable laying, and canopy installation.

3. Transformer and Grid Upgrades: Includes transformers, cables, distribution cabinets, etc., with higher costs in urban core areas.

4. Site Costs: Typically divided into free land, one-time purchase, and annual rent payments. Government-funded projects usually do not need to consider this issue.

5. Platform and Operation & Maintenance: This part includes electricity costs, charging software systems, manual inspection and maintenance, and troubleshooting.

6. Government Permits and Subsidies: To encourage sustainable transportation development, governments usually provide subsidies, which are a crucial part of cost savings. These typically take the form of one-time subsidies, electricity subsidies, and construction subsidies.

In general, the cost of a complete public EV charging station is highly complex, influenced by geographical location, power capacity requirements, hardware specifications, and regulatory requirements. Therefore, a case-by-case analysis is necessary. If you are interested, we recommend contacting our experts for a detailed discussion.

However, to give you a better understanding, I will use our electric bus charging station case in India as an example. In India, building a charging station with 10 chargers each with a power output of 180 kilowatts, including charging equipment and various construction costs, would cost approximately 50 million Indian rupees, or about US$550,000.

V. EV Charging at Home vs Public: Key Comparisons

Dimensions	Home Charging	Public Charging
Charging Speed	Primarily slow charging (around 7kW), charging time 6-8 hours	A combination of fast and slow charging. DC fast charging can reach 60-320kW, charging to 80% in 30 minutes.
Convenience	Plug and charge, no waiting required	Fast charging speed, but queues and charger damage may occur.
Cost	Lower electricity price (residential electricity price)	Commercial electricity + service fee (the faster the charging speed, the higher the price)
Suitable Scenarios	Fixed residence, overnight charging	Suitable for emergencies and long-distance travel
Lifespan	Private use, with careful maintenance, is low risk.	Equipment must comply with national standards and be equipped with multiple protections. However, public charging has a high wear and tear rate.

VI. TKT Case Studies and Brand Strength

1. Technological Leadership: Independently developed high-power DC fast chargers (supporting up to 320kW), ensuring stable operation under high loads.

2. Comprehensive Coverage: Products cover government EV charging stations, community EV charging stations, and high-speed super-fast charging stations, adapting to the needs of various vehicle types including taxis, logistics vehicles, and passenger cars.

3. Intelligent System: The cloud-managed TKT charging system supports remote monitoring, fault warnings, and big data analysis, helping operators reduce costs and increase efficiency.

Olectra Collaboration Case: India’s Largest Electric Bus Fleet Project

TKT partnered with Olectra, India’s leading electric bus manufacturer, to build public charging stations for electric buses in Hyderabad and Mumbai. The project utilizes TKT’s 180kW DC fast charging stations, supporting CCS2 and GB/T standards, and integrates a smart management platform compliant with OCPP 1.6J. This platform enables fleet management and remote equipment monitoring, meeting the daily operational needs of over 50 electric buses. The charging stations can achieve 80% charging within 40 minutes, effectively ensuring the operational efficiency of public transport routes.

In late 2024, TKT was awarded the “Best Continuing Support Partner” award by Olectra, recognizing its ability to maintain the high stability of its equipment even under India’s extreme climate conditions.

Sri Lanka Public EV Charger Project

TKT provided customized AC chargers for BYD in Sri Lanka. These chargers allow users to view charging time, energy consumption, and other data via an app. This project reduces carbon emissions by 800 tons annually.

About TKT

As a professional EV charger manufacturer with over ten years of experience, TKT focuses on the research, development, production, sales, and after-sales service of public and private electric vehicle charging solutions.

TKT’s EV charging stations for public have been deployed in multiple regions across Asia, Africa, and South America, and their product quality has been proven in real-world applications. TKT has also established a close partnership with BYD, a Fortune 500 automaker.

Browse more news: Customized EV Charging Solutions for Automakers, Fleet Charging Technology Guide, Dynamic Load Balancing EV Charger Explained

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