How to start an EV charging business in Cambodia

EV charging is becoming one of the most interesting new business opportunities in Cambodia. If you own or manage a site with parking — a mall, office, hotel, condo or petrol station — you can turn it into a paid, professionally run charging point. Here's how to approach it, step by step.

1. Assess your site and power

Start with the basics: how much parking do you have, who visits, and how long do they stay? Then check your electrical capacity. Fast DC chargers need substantial power; slower AC chargers are cheaper to install and often perfect for destinations where cars park for a while. A proper site assessment tells you what's realistic.

2. Choose the right hardware

Match the charger to the dwell time. Hotels, offices and malls often do well with AC destination chargers; highway and quick-stop locations benefit from DC fast charging. Crucially, choose chargers that support the OCPP standard (1.6J or 2.0.1) so you're never locked into a single vendor and can manage everything from one platform.

3. Sort out licensing

Selling electricity to the public is a regulated activity. Engage early with the Electricity Authority of Cambodia (EAC) on licensing and tariffs, and make sure your electrical work is done properly and safely. Getting this right from the start protects your investment.

4. Decide your pricing model

You can charge per kWh, per minute, per session, or offer free charging to draw customers to your business. The right model depends on your goals — pure revenue, or footfall and customer loyalty. Good software lets you set and adjust tariffs per site whenever you want.

5. Make payment effortless

In Cambodia, that means KHQR and ABA PayWay. Drivers should be able to scan, pay and charge in seconds without creating an account or carrying a special card. Familiar local payments dramatically increase how many people actually use your chargers.

6. Run it on a management platform (CSMS)

This is what separates a real charging business from a box on a wall. A charging-station management system lets you monitor every charger's uptime in real time, see sessions and revenue, set pricing, support drivers remotely, and manage many sites from one dashboard. Without it, you're flying blind.

7. Market your location

Once you're live, get your site listed and visible in the driver app so EV owners can find you, and promote it to your existing customers. A well-placed, reliable charger becomes a reason for people to choose your business over the one next door.

Ready to start?

The operators moving now are claiming the best locations while the market is still early. If you'd like a straight answer on what your site could support and how quickly you could launch, book a consultation and we'll map it out with you.