Where to install a charging station: how to choose the location
The short answer
The best location is where the driver already stops for a reason of their own, for the time the charge requires, with easy access from the route and power available near the space. Before deciding, look at the charging stations around: how many there are, what power they have and how busy they are on each day and time. The location barely changes after the construction, which is why it comes before the charger.
After the construction, the location barely changes. Five criteria for choosing where the charging station will go, and the signs of a location that will not fill up.
The charger can be swapped, the rate changes in an afternoon and the operating hours adjust. The location does not. Once the trench has been dug and the power has reached the space, changing the point's address means starting over. That is why the location is the first decision for anyone opening a charging station. This article brings together five criteria for assessing a location and the signs that it will not fill up.
The driver looks for a charger on the way
In August 2026 Brazil had 29,866 public and semi-public charging points, according to the ABVE survey with the Tupi platform. By the provisional count in the same survey, 1,911 municipalities have charging infrastructure available for electric vehicles, and 1,156 have at least one fast charging point. In the same text, Tupi's executive director sums up the shift: the consumer's question has stopped being whether a charger exists in the country and has become whether a charger exists on the route they take. To read these numbers carefully, the difference between a charging point and a charging station and the source of each figure are on the Velquia blog: charging stations in Brazil, how many there are, how fast they grow and where they are.
For those about to open a point, this changes the criterion. It is not enough that there are few chargers in the city. The point needs to be where the driver is already going to pass or stop.
The five criteria
1. The stop time matches the charge
A charge takes time, and the driver stays put while it happens. The location pays off when that time fits into something they would already do there. And the type of charger comes out of that time:
| Location | Typical stop | Matching charge |
|---|---|---|
| Gas station, convenience store, highway stop | Short | Fast, DC |
| Shopping center, wholesale store, restaurant | Medium | DC or AC, depending on the customer's time |
| Hotel, office, company yard | Long, hours | AC may be enough |
To give an idea of time: at the 60 kW DC charger at our Pinhais unit, a charge from 20% to 80% takes about 40 minutes. The difference between the two types of charging is in fast or slow charging.
2. Access from the route
The driver chooses where to charge before leaving, from the app map. Between two similar points, the one that requires the least detour wins. Check:
- whether you can get in and out without a long turnaround or a tricky maneuver;
- whether the space is visible to those arriving and is signposted;
- whether the location's access hours let the point serve when the driver needs it. A parking lot that closes early closes the charger with it;
- whether the space stays free for those who are going to charge, without a car parked just to take the spot.
3. What to do while charging
A restroom, coffee, food, a covered place to wait. The driver who has something to do comes back, and the one who only has the sidewalk looks for another point next time. At our Pinhais unit, for example, the space is covered and lit, with restaurants, a snack bar, a bakery and shops next door. Ideas from the driver's side are in what to do while the car charges.
4. Power near the space
The ideal space for the driver is not always the cheapest to connect. The farther from the panel and the power connection, the bigger the construction. And if the property has no power to spare, a load increase or utility work comes into play. By the general rule of ANEEL's REN 1,000/2021 (art. 23), a property with an installed load above 75 kW is connected in medium voltage, which changes the budget. The standard receives updates: use the version in force, which can be checked on the ANEEL website. Before you make the call, compare two or three possible spaces on the same plot. What goes into this calculation is in how much it costs to install a charging station.
5. The neighbors and how much they fill up
By the same ABVE survey, Paraná had 2,513 public and semi-public points in August 2026, and Curitiba appeared with 796 among the locations identified in the database. In a market with so much supply, the driver compares power, price and reliability before choosing. Look at the charging stations a few minutes from the location:
- How many there are and what power they have. A new DC next to an old AC does not compete for the same driver.
- How busy they are, by day and time. A queue indicates demand that has not yet been met. A neighbor that is free most of the day indicates little demand.
- What hours they keep. An area with no charging at night is a gap that a 24-hour point can fill.
You can check this yourself: look at the neighbors' status on the charging apps at different days and times, or drive past them. And bring the question to the conversation before investing.
Three examples from our network
- Gas station: the Boqueirão unit, in Curitiba, is inside Auto Posto Ilha Bela, with 60 kW DC fast charging. The stop is short and the driver already knows the way.
- Shopping center parking lot: the Araquari unit is in the Multi Space parking lot, also with 80 kW DC. The driver charges while shopping.
- A space with service next door: the Pinhais unit has 60 kW DC and 22 kW AC in a covered, lit space, with restaurants and shops next door.
Addresses and details for each are in charging points.
Signs of a location that will not fill up
- the driver has no reason to stop there other than to charge;
- the access requires a detour, and there is another point closer to the route;
- the location's hours leave the charger closed when the demand happens;
- power only reaches the space with construction that the expected traffic does not pay for;
- the neighbors are free most of the day.
One sign alone does not condemn the location, but two or three together tend to show up later in the statement, as shown in a charging station with little use.
If the location is yours, but the investment is not
Having the right location does not force anyone to buy the charger. Whoever has the space can give up the spot to a company that installs, operates and maintains the point. The ways to have a charger in your space are in a charging station in the parking lot, and our model, in partnerships.
Where Elektro Charge comes in
In our network there have already been more than 4,300 charges and more than 100,000 kWh delivered. For those who want to set up their own point, the feasibility consulting analyzes the location, the available power, the cost and the return before you invest.
Have a location in mind?
Tell us where it is and what you are thinking of installing. We will tell you whether it makes sense. And if it does not, we will say so too.
Talk to us →Frequently asked questions
What is the best location to install a charging station?
Where the driver already stops for a reason of their own, for the time the charge requires, with easy access from the route and power available near the space. A gas station, convenience store, shopping center, restaurant and hotel are examples, each with a type of charger.
Is it worth installing a charging station near another one?
It depends on the neighbor's occupancy. A charging station with a queue indicates demand that has not yet been met. A neighbor that is free most of the day indicates little demand in the area. Look at the occupancy by day and time before deciding.
Fast or slow charging station: which suits each location?
The power follows the stop time. At a gas station, convenience store and highway stop, DC fast charging. At a shopping center and restaurant, DC or AC, depending on the customer's time. At a hotel, office and company yard, where the car stays for hours, an AC charger may be enough.
Does the location need to have power to spare?
It needs a way to carry the charger's power to the space. If the property has no power to spare, a load increase or utility work comes into play, with cost and lead time. The distance between the panel and the space also weighs on the budget.
Does Elektro Charge help choose the charging station location?
Yes. In the feasibility consulting we analyze the location, the available power, the cost and the return before you invest.
