EV charging hub design
End-to-end design for multi-charger EV sites — site layout, electrical, civils, signage, accessibility.
EV charging hub design is the multi-discipline work that turns a viable site into a buildable charging installation. Layout, electrical, civils, signage, accessibility — the integrated package a construction team can execute against.
We deliver hub design for installations ranging from forecourt-style retail sites to fleet depots and motorway-service-area builds.
Why hub design is multi-disciplinary
A working charging hub needs five disciplines pulling in the same direction:
1. Site layout. Vehicle approach, charger position, departure path, queuing space, pedestrian routes. Done well, this is invisible. Done badly, it produces sites where vehicles block each other or pedestrians cross active driveways.
2. Electrical. Supply, distribution, protection, charger interconnection. Sized to the load, coordinated with grid connection, future-proofed.
3. Civils. Foundations for chargers, ducting routes, drainage, surface treatment, kerb modifications. The buried infrastructure that’s expensive to fix later.
4. Signage and lighting. Wayfinding, visibility, security. Often delegated until late, often a permitting issue when delegated.
5. Accessibility. Disabled-bay placement, accessible routes, charger height and reach for wheelchair users. UK Building Regs Part S and US ADA both have specific requirements.
A hub design that treats any of these as bolt-on produces a site that costs more to build, runs worse operationally, or fails permitting.
What’s in a hub design package
A complete deliverable covers:
- Site layout drawings — vehicle paths, charger positions, pedestrian routes, accessibility provision
- Charger placement plan — exact positioning with foundation locations and cable connection points
- Electrical schematics — feeder, distribution, protection, charger interconnection
- Single line diagram — supply through to chargers
- Civils drawings — foundation detail, ducting routes, drainage, surface treatment
- Signage and lighting plan — wayfinding, illumination levels, CCTV positioning
- Accessibility detail — disabled bays, routes, charger reach geometry
- Construction sequence notes — what’s installed in what order
- Cost estimate with breakdown
Site types and design implications
Different site types have different design priorities:
Motorway services / public DC fast — high diversity load, large vehicles (vans, towing), short dwell, signage critical for highway visibility.
Retail forecourt — interaction with retail flow, payment integration, customer-friendly layout, often smaller vehicles.
Fleet depot — high simultaneous load coincidence, scheduled charging, often AC over DC, integration with depot operations.
Workplace destination — long dwell, mid-power AC typical, parking integration, employee access controls.
MDU (Multi-Dwelling Unit) — load management for residential use, individual metering or tariff allocation, planning sensitivity.
We match design approach to site type rather than running a single template across all hubs.
Standards and codes
We work to:
- UK — BS 7671, Building Regulations Part S, IEC 61851 for charger equipment, NRSWA where work is in highway, local planning authority signage standards, Equality Act / Building Regs Part M for accessibility
- US — NEC Article 625, ADA for accessibility, state and city EV charging codes, MUTCD for any signage in public ROW
- Specific to EV — IEC 61851 series, ISO 15118 (where ISO 15118 vehicle-grid integration is in scope)
Inputs we need
A productive hub design engagement runs on:
- Approved site assessment — confirmation site is viable
- Charger configuration — count, types, manufacturers
- Load calculation — sized supply requirement
- Grid connection status — feasibility confirmed, or design dependent on grid feasibility output
- Site context — current use, surrounds, planning constraints
- Operator standards — where the operator has standardised on charger types, layouts, signage
Output formats
Hub designs deliver as:
- CAD drawings (DWG) for civils, electrical, layout
- PDF report with executive summary, methodology, findings
- Single line diagram for the electrical system
- 3D massing or visualisation where the project warrants it (typically larger sites or planning-sensitive locations)
Common pitfalls in outsourced hub design
Layout that doesn’t reflect operational reality. A layout drawn by someone who hasn’t watched a charging site operate will miss obvious issues — queuing onto access roads, pedestrian conflicts, charger cable reach. We design with operational input.
Accessibility as add-on. Accessibility provisions retrofitted after layout is fixed produce compromised solutions. We design accessibility in from the start.
Civils in isolation from electrical. Foundation locations and ducting routes that don’t anticipate cable runs produce expensive rework during construction. We coordinate civils and electrical at design phase.
Signage delayed until permitting. Signage left to the end of design often becomes the planning issue that delays approval. We include signage strategy from the outset.
Typical timelines
- Single small site (under 6 chargers) — 3-4 weeks
- Mid-sized hub (6-20 chargers) — 4-8 weeks
- Large depot or motorway services site — 8-16 weeks
- Multi-site programme — rolling delivery aligned with site permitting and grid connection schedules
How we deliver
Hub design runs onshore-led across all five disciplines. Production drafting and detail work runs offshore. Layout decisions, electrical coordination, accessibility compliance, and final QA sit onshore with senior engineers.
Talk to us about a hub design
Tell us the site, the charger configuration, the use case, and the timeline. We’ll scope and price within two business days for typical projects.
Typical deliverables
- Site layout drawings (vehicle access, queueing, pedestrian routes)
- Charger placement and cable routing
- Electrical schematics and protection design
- Civils detail (foundations, ducting, drainage)
- Signage, lighting, and CCTV layout
- Accessibility-compliant detail
Who buys this
EV charging operators, fleet operators, retail site owners, and developers building multi-charger hubs at depots, retail sites, motorway services, or urban locations.
Talk to us about delivery options
Tell us what you need delivered, what your timeline is, and what format the downstream team needs the output in. We'll come back with scope, price range, and proposed approach.