Faith Energy

Cost Guide · Dealerships · 2026

What EV charging actually costs a dealership.

OEM mandates set the requirement; your site’s electrical reality sets the price. Real installed numbers from a contractor that has delivered dealership charging from Alabama to Florida — including the costs the program guides don’t mention.

Price my dealership program General cost guide

The Numbers

2026 dealership charging costs, by scope.

Installed totals including electrical work and commissioning. OEM equipment-list requirements can move hardware costs; the electrical path moves everything else.

Service & inventory Level 2

$4,000–$12,000 per port installed. Wall or pedestal units in the service department and inventory lots. Cheapest when panel capacity exists near the service bays.

Customer / demonstration Level 2

$10,000–$22,000 per dual-port station. Front-lot placement means longer runs, bollards, ADA compliance, and visible finish quality.

OEM-compliance DC fast charging

$90,000–$250,000 per unit installed. The mandate item. Power level set by the OEM program; cost set by your service capacity and switchgear.

Typical full program

$120,000–$250,000 for the common package: 2–4 Level 2 stations plus one mandate-compliant DC fast charger, engineered as one electrical project.

Service upgrade (when required)

$30,000–$150,000+. The swing item. Dealership service loads plus DCFC frequently exceed existing service — unless load management absorbs the peak.

Offsets that apply

Federal 30C up to $100,000 per port, utility make-ready programs, and OEM co-op funds where offered — stacked correctly, offsets routinely cover 30–50%.

The Deadline Trap

OEM deadlines don’t wait for utility timelines.

Most dealership charging trouble is calendar trouble: the OEM sets a compliance date, and the transformer or service upgrade takes longer than the window. The fix is sequencing — utility application first, incentive pre-approvals second, equipment order third. Faith Energy has run this sequence for dealerships including Mullinax Genesis in Montgomery and Capital Volvo in Tallahassee, and the pattern is always the same: the dealers who start with the utility make their dates.

Check my compliance timeline

Straight Answers

Dealership questions we answer every week.

How much should I budget for my OEM’s charging mandate?
For the common package — mandate DC fast charger plus service and customer Level 2 — budget $120,000–$250,000 before offsets, then verify against your site’s service capacity, which is the number that moves the estimate most.
Does OEM money cover the electrical work?
OEM funds and preferred pricing usually target equipment, not make-ready. The electrical path — often half the project — is where utility make-ready programs and the 30C credit do the heavy lifting instead.
Can the service department keep running during construction?
Yes, with phasing designed for it: trenching and gear work sequenced around service hours, shutdown windows planned in advance, and temporary power where needed. Active-facility construction is standard practice for our crews.
Which charger brands satisfy OEM requirements?
Each program publishes an approved equipment list; most include ChargePoint and several include Autel, ABB, or Tesla hardware. As an authorized reseller for twelve brands, we match the approved list against your site and budget rather than defaulting to the most expensive compliant unit.

Next Step

Send the mandate letter. We’ll send the plan.

OEM program requirements, your address, and a photo of the main switchgear — that’s enough for our engineers to return a real number and a timeline that makes your compliance date.

Start a project review Dealership EV readiness
Email usStart project review