The electric-vehicle charging market is one of the most dynamic in Switzerland. Every EV or plug-in hybrid registered eventually creates a need for a charger: a wallbox in a private garage, a shared infrastructure in a condominium, or several charging points in a company car park. But these requests scatter across car dealers, property managers, general electricians and online searches — and the specialist installer isn't always the one the customer finds first.
This guide is for EV charging installers and electricians who want to buy leads to fill their order book: how much a lead costs, how to tell a genuinely workable request from an idle click, and which legal framework applies in Switzerland.
Why buy EV charging leads in Switzerland
Installing charging stations means selling to three very different audiences. The homeowner wants a wallbox fitted quickly and cleanly: short cycle, usually a single decision-maker. The condominium exercising a right-to-plug clause involves a general meeting, sizing the base installation and load management: long cycle, but a high-value job. The business electrifying its fleet or equipping a customer car park thinks in dozens of charging points, with supervision and billing. Being present when each of these projects starts is what fills a schedule.
A purchased lead is a request already made by someone looking to install a charger — you don't start from scratch creating the need, you turn an existing intent into a site visit and then a quote. Unlike an ad campaign whose return stays uncertain, the cost of a lead scales directly with the volume of requests received, which makes the profitability calculation far clearer: you know what you pay for an opportunity, and you can weigh it against your margin on a signed job.
How much does an EV charging lead cost in Switzerland
The price of a charging lead depends first on the segment. A residential wallbox lead has a moderate unit value because the job is standardised; a condominium or fleet lead is worth considerably more, since a single signed project can mean tens of thousands of francs in works plus recurring maintenance. Exclusivity (reserved lead vs. shared between several installers), region (the urban cantons of Zurich, Geneva and Vaud concentrate demand) and how well the contact is qualified also matter.
In Switzerland, market ranges run from a few tens of francs for a shared residential lead up to a markedly higher figure for an exclusive lead on a well-qualified collective or professional project. These amounts stay indicative: they vary by provider, order volume and seasonality. The right instinct isn't to chase the cheapest lead but to think in cost of acquisition per signed job: a pricier lead that converts one time in three beats a cheap lead that never lands. The only reliable way to get a number for your business is to request a detailed, no-obligation quote.
- Project segment: a condo or fleet lead is worth more than a residential wallbox lead, because the job is larger.
- Exclusivity: a reserved lead costs more per unit but avoids the race to call first.
- Technical feasibility: a contact with a private parking space and an identified meter converts better than a vague request.
- Monthly volume: the more leads you order, the more room there is to negotiate pricing.
How to judge the quality of an EV charging lead
In EV charging, lead quality hinges less on enthusiasm than on feasibility. An eager contact who rents a flat with no assigned parking space is very hard to convert; an owner with a garage and an accessible distribution board almost always becomes a quote. So the good signals to spot before the first call are technical as much as declared: occupancy status (owner or tenant), dwelling type (house, condo, apartment block), whether a private parking space exists, and sometimes the vehicle model, which hints at the target power.
Beyond those criteria, the real measure plays out over time: what share of leads turns into a site visit, then a signed job? A serious provider will share average conversion rates by segment and let you benchmark your own results. Be wary of offers selling volume at the lowest price with no qualification: a lead that is never reachable, or already sent to five competitors, ends up costing more than a slightly pricier but genuinely workable one. A clear score — segment, feasibility, project timeline — beats a bare name and number.
- Occupancy status: owner or tenant, with or without permission to install a charger.
- Installation feasibility: private parking space, distance to the board, available power.
- Identified segment: homeowner, condominium (right to plug) or business / fleet.
- Tracked consent and freshness: the customer agreed to be contacted, and the request is recent.
Exclusive or shared leads: which to choose
A shared lead is sent to several installers at once: it costs less to buy, but you're in direct competition, and on a residential wallbox project it's often the fastest to call back who wins the visit. An exclusive lead is reserved for you: the price is higher, but you run the negotiation without racing other firms.
The right trade-off depends on the segment. For a flow of standardised residential leads, shared can stay profitable if you call back within minutes. For a condominium or fleet project — long cycle, several stakeholders, a detailed technical quote — exclusivity makes real sense: nobody wants to invest time in a collective-installation study knowing four competitors are working the same file. Many installers first test shared leads on residential work to evaluate a provider, then switch to exclusive for high-value projects.
Legal framework: nLPD and consent
In Switzerland, any lead purchase must comply with the federal data protection act (nLPD). In practice, every homeowner, property manager or business whose details you receive must have given explicit consent to be contacted by a charging professional — and that consent must be tracked by the lead provider (form, checkbox, timestamp), not merely claimed. This matters all the more because a charging project can involve data about the dwelling, the parking space or the electrical installation.
Before buying, check that the provider can demonstrate the origin of consent and doesn't resell the same data to an unlimited number of installers without disclosing it. As the receiving company, you remain responsible for handling the data you get: keep it only as long as needed to process the request, secure it, and respect the customer's right to opt out of further contact. A provider transparent about its consent chain protects you as much as it protects the prospect.
