Clear answer, explained.
Level 2 charging is the practical standard for most commercial EV applications. It operates at 240V and delivers 25–50 km of range per hour — sufficient to fully charge most EVs over a standard workday or overnight shift. A typical Level 2 charger operates at 7.2 to 11.5 kW per port depending on the vehicle's onboard charger capacity and the hardware installed.
For commercial offices, warehouses, distribution centres, manufacturing plants, and retail centres, Level 2 is the appropriate technology for primary EV charging infrastructure. It balances charging speed with manageable electrical demand and substantially lower infrastructure cost compared to DC fast charging. For most employee parking applications, vehicles parked during an 8-hour shift receive a full charge from Level 2 regardless of their starting state of charge.
Smart Level 2 chargers with load management capability are recommended for commercial settings where multiple chargers operate simultaneously. Networked chargers communicate with each other and with the building's energy management system — queuing sessions and throttling output to stay within a predefined demand threshold. This allows more ports than the electrical service would support at full simultaneous draw, without triggering elevated demand charges on the Ontario commercial electricity tariff.
What this means in practice.
- 240V, 7.2–11.5 kW per port, 25–50 km range per hour
- Fully charges most EVs over a standard 8-hour workday
- Industry standard for workplaces, fleets, and parking facilities
- Substantially lower cost and infrastructure than DC fast charging
- Networked smart chargers recommended for commercial multi-port use
- Load management prevents demand charge increases from simultaneous use
Best-fit environments.
- Office and workplace employee parking facilities
- Commercial fleet depots with overnight or shift-based charging
- Retail and hospitality with customer parking and longer dwell times
- Multi-tenant commercial buildings adding EV as a tenant amenity
