Costs for wallboxes in underground car parks vary greatly

08.01.2025

Source: E & M powernews

An analysis by "The Charging Project" shows large price differences in the installation costs of wallboxes in homeowners' associations.

The Hamburg-based energy consultancy The Charging Project has examined 73 offers from 29 companies for the installation of charging infrastructure in homeowners' associations (WEG). The analysis reveals considerable price differences - of up to 82 percent for the basic installation and up to 50 percent for the commissioning of wallboxes. According to the energy consultants, these discrepancies would make it difficult for owners' associations to make informed decisions without specialist knowledge.

The Charging Project advises customers from the housing industry and apartment buildings on the installation of charging infrastructure, photovoltaics and heating projects. The company does not offer any billing or installation services itself, but acts as a broker for offers to its customers.

Community approach cheaper in the long term

As the consultants emphasize, condominiums face particular challenges: While cost-efficient parking spaces can be selected in apartment buildings, individual parking space allocations in COAs increase the costs in the basic installation. The consultants explain that higher initial investments are more efficient and cost-effective in the long term thanks to an infrastructure that can supply all parking spaces. However, this collective approach to electrifying all parking spaces requires a two-thirds majority among the owners and a distribution of costs among all members.

The main results of the analysis:

• Community-supported basic installations cost an average of €1,800 per parking space, while the cheapest option is €1,264.
• The total costs for individual charging stations amount to an average of 5,000 euros per parking space. Favorable overall offers reduce this value to 4,205 euros.
• According to The Charging Project, recommendations on power requirements from associations such as the Bavarian Energy and Water Industry Association (VBEW) and the Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies (VDE) are excessive and hinder the expansion of charging infrastructure.

According to the consultants, the installation of charging infrastructure is the responsibility of specialized installation companies that compete with energy suppliers and start-ups. These providers mostly rely on standardized products and often work with subcontractors to scale their services. In its study, The Charging Project considered offers from all provider groups. The names of the service providers examined remain anonymous in order to maintain the neutrality of the study.

Funding as a key factor

Regional funding programs, particularly in Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia and Munich, have a direct influence on the implementation rates of projects, according to the consultants. Two thirds of the projects analyzed benefit from funding, which was often decided in favour of scalable solutions.

The individual results of their analysis "Underground car park wallbox costs: 73 offers compared" are available on the Hamburg energy consultants' website.

Author: Davina Spohn