Step 1 — Understand the Dwell-Time Profile

Not every parking lot behaves the same. A grocery store sees 45-minute visits; an office tower sees 8-hour stays; an airport long-term lot sees multi-day parking. Map the dwell-time histogram first, because it dictates the AC/DC mix and prevents costly over-specification.

Step 2 — Right-Size the AC/DC Mix

• Short dwell (under 1 hour): 60–120 kW DC near the entrance
• Medium dwell (1–4 hours): 22 kW AC or 30 kW DC across mid-lot
• Long dwell (4+ hours): 7–11 kW AC for the majority of stalls
• Always reserve 10–15% of capacity for future expansion

Step 3 — Plan the Electrical Load From Day One

Modern drivers expect plug-and-charge or QR-code payment, real-time availability maps, and a working station 99% of the time. Choose hardware backed by an OCPP-compliant backend so you are not locked into one software vendor. ChenAnXin stations ship OCPP 1.6J / 2.0.1 ready out of the box.

Step 4 — Payment, Networking and Driver Experience

A well-planned commercial lot typically reaches ROI in 3–5 years on hardware cost alone — before counting the uplift in footfall, dwell time and tenant value.