The wrong choice of parking spaces is the most common reason why charging infrastructure underperforms. Shared sites yield 3—4 times higher returns than dedicated sites — here's the calculation and strategy.
How many charging points you install does not determine how profitable the investment will be. It does which parking lots get chargers. ChargeNode data from 60,000+ charging points shows that shared parking spaces provide 3-4 times higher utilization than dedicated ones — and that the wrong choice of locations is the most common reason why a charging infrastructure underperforms against the calculus.
A dedicated parking space is reserved for a specific vehicle — a resident of a BRF, an employee with a fixed parking space or a tenant with a named p-number. The charging point is only used when that vehicle is parked and charging, limiting the utilization rate to approximately 20—25 kWh per fifth day. It provides a maximum utilization rate of around 150 kWh per outlet per month.
A shared parking lot is used by several vehicles during the week — visitors, employees, hotel guests or customers passing by. Each vehicle takes its share of capacity, and the charging point is in motion for far more hours. The result is a utilisation rate of 400—500 kWh per outlet per month — 3—4 times more than a dedicated location.
It's not a small difference. It is the difference between an investment that pays off in 10—13 months and one that takes several years.
With a price margin of 2.50/kWh, the calculation looks like this:
Shared parking
Dedicated parking space
Same investment, same number of recharge points — but more than twice the payback time depending on whether the seats are shared or dedicated. This is why site planning is more important than the number of chargers.
Office car parks are naturally shared — employees park during the daytime and the car park is empty in the evenings and weekends. One charging point can serve up to 5 cars per week, as electric cars typically only need recharging about once every 5 days. That makes office real estate one of the strongest business cases for charging infrastructure.
Hotel guests check in and check out. The parking lot is continuously updated and the charging points are used during long parking hours — guests charge throughout their stay. ChargeNode's data shows 600 kWh per outlet per month for hotels, giving a payback period of around 13 months for an investment of SEK 400,000 with 20 charging points.
Trading venues combine short visit time with high flow — fast chargers provide extremely high utilization rates. An investment of 800 000 SEK in 2 DC chargers with 4 sockets can generate 50,000 SEK in monthly revenue and a payback period of 16 months. Read more about payback periods by property type.
Apartment buildings where parking is not strictly allocated per apartment have good potential for shared charging points. Taxi operations and private individuals with high charging rates are driving utilisation rates upwards. ChargeNode's data shows 500 kWh per outlet per month for well-located apartment buildings — with a payback period of 10 months after the Charge the Car subsidy.
BRFs and apartment buildings with fixed parking spaces per apartment cannot always opt for shared spaces. But there are ways to improve calculus anyway.
Fixed monthly fee instead of pure KWh charge compensates for low utilization by providing predictable revenue regardless of how much the resident charges. That reduces the risk that the charging point generates too little to cover the cost.
Combined locations — if the BRF has both fixed and open locations, the open sites should be prioritised for charging points. Install charging on the shared sites first and deploy to dedicated locations as demand increases.
The induction effect comes into play — even dedicated sites see increased utilization over time. ChargeNode's data shows that charging usage in BRFs increases by 39% within 12 months of installation, as more residents acquire electric cars.
1. How is the parking lot used today? Map the occupancy by site in a typical week. Places that are empty during the daytime but filled in the evenings are better suited for resident-charging. High throughput locations are best for shared charging points.
2. Can you reorganize? Sometimes it is possible to reclassify a number of spaces from dedicated to shared — for example, by moving fixed employee parking spaces to another part of the car park. It can significantly improve the profitability of charging infrastructure without additional investment.
3. Do you build scalable? No matter how you organize your sites today — pull cable infrastructure to any location from the start. It's the earthworks and cabling that cost, not the chargers. A scalable installation from day one makes it easy to add more charging points as demand grows, without costly rebuilds. Learn more about Scalable Charging Infrastructure.
With 60,000+ charging points in operation and 30% market share, we know which parking spaces offer the best returns — and how to plan the infrastructure to capitalize on it. We help you analyze your parking, identify the most profitable locations and size the installation right from day one.
Calculate what your property can earn with ChargeNodes ROI Calculator, or read more about electric car charging as a profitable business. Contact us for a free consultation.
The number of charging points is not what determines how profitable the investment will be. It's where you place them. With shared parking spaces and the right site planning right from the start, you can get 3—4 times the return on the same investment — and a payback period that counts in months, not years.
What is the difference in utilization between shared and dedicated charging points?
Shared parking spaces typically provide 400—500 kWh per outlet per month. Dedicated seats land at around 150 kWh — thus 3—4 times lower. The difference is because a shared seat is used by multiple vehicles during the week, while a dedicated seat is reserved for a single vehicle.
Which property types are best suited for shared charging sites?
Office properties, hotels, shopping malls and apartment buildings with open parking have the greatest potential. In common, the parking lot is changed by several users during the day, which drives up the utilization rate.
Can a BRF have shared charging locations?
Yes, if the BRF has parking spaces that aren't strictly allocated per apartment. Shared guest spaces or visitor car parks are good candidates for shared charging points with high utilization rates.
How does site planning affect the payback period?
Considerably. The same investment of SEK 150,000 for 6 charging points gives a payback period of ~13 months with shared seats and ~33 months with dedicated seats — at a price margin of SEK 2.50/kWh.
Do I have to choose between shared and dedicated locations?
The No. Many properties combine — shared spaces for visitors and employees, dedicated for residents with fixed parking space. Always prioritize the shared locations for charging first, and expand to dedicated ones as demand increases.
Charge Node Europe AB
Neongatan 4B
431 53 Molndal
