Why we do not publish a single unit price
Let us be clear about one thing first: this page does not quote a unit price. A charging pile is not a commodity. Two projects both called "a 20-port e-bike charging station" can differ by more than double once you account for the control board, the ingress-protection rating, and whether the distribution board and cabling are included. A single number looks convenient and misleads everyone.
So we do something more useful: split the price into five blocks and, for each one, say what it contains, what moves it most, and why projects differ. Once you can read that structure, any quotation you receive becomes something you can judge yourself — is it expensive, or is it incomplete?
If you only want a rough investment and payback figure, use the investment return estimator: enter the number of ports, utilisation, electricity price and service fee. For an accurate price, a free survey is enough.
The five blocks: equipment, electrical, civil, installation, aftercare
Any charging quotation can be broken down into the blocks below. The equipment itself is paradoxically the easiest part to compare, because models and warranties are standardised. The real spread comes later.
| Block | What it contains | What moves it most | Why prices differ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment | Charging modules, control board, enclosure rating, metering | Port count is the first variable: 10-port and 20-port are not a simple doubling, the cabinet and board often change | Brand and warranty: authorised channels for first-tier brands differ clearly from unbranded gear, and warranty length differs more |
| Electrical package | Distribution board, RCDs, cable and tray, earthing | The distance from the switchroom to the bays sets cable volume — the most frequently omitted section | Whether it is built to code: undersizing the cross-section saves now and trips later |
| Civil works | Equipment bases, road breaking and reinstatement, ground paving, drainage | Whether the ground is paved and whether roads must be broken — the main reason two blocks in one community quote differently | Whether reinstatement is included: a quote that breaks but does not restore looks cheaper |
| Installation | Conduit and cabling, fixing, fire provisions, commissioning | Restricted working windows (nights or fixed hours) push labour up | Licences and insurance: who carries the liability after an incident is a completely different answer |
| Aftercare | Maintenance, spare parts, platform use, fault attendance | Whether it is folded into a single O&M system — this decides whether the long run is easy or merely cheap | Response time: a local crew and a remote crew do not arrive at the same hour |
Use the table like this: take a quotation and go down it row by row, looking for anything written as "other costs" or left out entirely. Not written does not mean not charged — it means discussed later.
E-bike chargers: why counting "ports" is misleading
E-bike charging stations are usually quoted by port count, with 10 and 20 ports the most common tiers. But the port count only fixes the broad equipment class. Three further things shape the installed cost:
- How many ports can charge at once — a cabinet labelled 20 ports may not run all 20 simultaneously, depending on the control board and the supply. Ask "how many can charge at the same time", not "how many ports in total".
- Post-mounted or wall-mounted — a post needs a base; wall mounting saves the base but depends on the wall. The labour differs.
- Whether a shelter is needed — sheltered communities have clearly fewer problems with space occupation, disorderly parking and dangling cables, but a shelter is a separate investment and can be phased. See charging shelter cost.
Product configuration, safety functions and suitable scenarios for e-bike chargers are covered on the e-bike charging station page; this page is only about the money.
EV chargers: AC and DC are not the same conversation
EV charging splits into two lines: AC slow charging (7kW and 14kW for homes and offices) and DC fast charging (60kW and above for public top-up). Their cost structures are entirely different.
For AC the weight sits on the parking-space side: the distance from the supply to the bay, whether each bay needs its own meter, and whether there is signal in the basement. The equipment share is modest; installation and the package are usually the bulk.
For DC the weight sits on the supply side: the higher the Rating per unit, the greater the transformer capacity required. Many park projects are limited not by equipment price but by insufficient capacity where upgrading is expensive. In that case capacity has to be solved first — apply for an upgrade, or use load scheduling so multiple units run staggered. The cost and the programme for those two routes differ a great deal.
How to choose model and Rating, and how the grid application process works, are covered on the EV charger page.
Five things to pin down when you ask for a price
This checklist comes from real project discussions: judging whether a price is high is not the hard part — judging whether it is complete is.
- Equipment only, no installation — equipment is transparent, installation is where the difference lives. If you see "price per unit", ask whether distribution, cabling, bases and commissioning are included.
- Port count versus usable simultaneous ports — some quotes charge by cabinet ports, but how many can actually charge at once is limited by the board and the supply. Ask the simultaneous figure.
- Safety items quietly omitted — per-port RCD, overload protection, auto-stop at full charge and flame-retardant cable are the floor, not paid extras.
- Vague warranty terms — how many years on the main unit, are wearing parts covered, is attendance charged? Put it in the contract, not in a verbal promise.
- Platform and reconciliation not included — whether you can query charging records and revenue yourself decides how smooth later reconciliation is; this usually sits on the software side.
One more: read the price together with the design. The same budget buys 20 ports or 12, with or without a shelter, with or without fire provisions — those are two different projects, and comparing totals alone means nothing.
If you would rather not invest upfront: how revenue share works
Where a property manager does not want to carry the capital cost, we can build and operate the facility: we fund the equipment and installation, the property side provides the space, and revenue is shared by ratio. The property share is commonly in the 20%–30% range, with the exact figure set by the project assessment.
Joint investment is also possible: the contribution and share structure is negotiated against project conditions and is subject to a per-project assessment. Or the property side can buy the equipment outright while we provide design and contracted O&M. None of the three is inherently better — it depends on the property side's cash position and return expectations.
Figures on this page are general industry reference notes, not a Dongshang New Energy quotation and not investment advice. Actual equipment prices, construction costs and returns depend on the site survey and project assessment.