Welcome everyone to the brand-new Gas Station Supply website and my very first ‘blog’ post. We’ve worked hard to design a website that reflects what Gas Station Supply is all about, and we’ll always be looking for ways to make it better and more informative for you. And, YES, we will even have an online store – something I’ve been hoping for/wanting to do for years.
For my first post, I’m answering a question that as a Petroleum Equipment Company may seem strange to address – but the fact is we’re getting this question more and more. Client after client is asking me
“Do you sell Electric Vehicle Chargers?” As you might imagine, since I’m writing about it (and given the headline)… Yes. Yes, we do!
About the same time we started planning our new building, the folks from JuiceBar came in to meet with us. Started in 2009, JuiceBar is a pioneer in the US based Electric Vehicle (EV) charging industry. The more we listened to their story and their mission, the more we realized that their line of products made perfect sense for partnership with us. We especially love that they are proudly made in the USA!
As a symbol of our commitment to JuiceBar and our belief in their product, we installed one of their units at our brand new facility.
JuiceBar Gen 3.0 40A Dual Charger with Gas Station Supply branding
Now more than ever, the world is moving in a direction where electric cars represent more and more of the market share. So how can you make sure you stay ahead of the game with the right charging station for your needs?
There are essentially three types of EV Charging Stations.
- Level 1 would be the type of charger you would typically install at your house. These run on standard 110-120 volt outlet voltages and they can take 8 – 16 hours to fully charge a vehicle.
- Level 2 chargers use 208-240 volts and typically take 4-6 hours to complete a charge.
- Finally, Level 3 chargers use 440 volts and can get most cars to 80% charge in 30 minutes or less.
We chose a Level 2 charger as it has the most ‘bang for the buck’ for our needs. Our 40A charging station can charge at a rate of about 38 miles/per hour. These chargers are great to have available for someone who just needs a little topping off to ensure they can make it to their final destination.
Of course, just knowing the levels isn’t enough to make an informed purchasing decision. When considering an EV Charging Station, you’ll want to answer these three questions:
Who will use the station most?
What do they need and which level of charger will help them best to meet those needs?
And most importantly, how much surplus electric service does my facility have?
For example, our 40A dual charger requires TWO 50A circuit breakers, which in combination with our answers to the other questions played an important part in choosing a Level 2. Fortunately, when it comes time for you to decide which charger is right for you, you’ll have access to our specialized licensed electrician who can look at your service and help make a recommendation on how to best proceed. Once you have established that you have ample electrical service, our electrician can install the unit and our technicians will help you get it up and running to perfection.
And it doesn’t stop there. Once your unit is good to go, JuiceBar has two network partners to get the word out that your EV Charging Station is available for use. Instead of having “card readers,” your unit is set up on the network so that your customers can pay via their mobile device. And you are even able to set your own price for electricity in the various portals of JuiceBar’s network partners.
If you are interested in installing an EV Charger at your location, give us a call at 434-845-3648. Our expert team will help you decide which unit is best for you, and we’ll get your EV Charging station ready to charge in a flash.