EV Charging Infrastructure Manufacturing worked example

Busbar Copper Cost at 99% usable copper yield after scrap: a worked example

Push usable copper yield after scrap up to 99% and the picture changes. This example computes every intermediate figure at that operating point. an estimator needs copper busbar cost for a charger cabinet quote

The inputs for this scenario

  • Busbar copper mass: 540 kg (unchanged)
  • Copper cost per kilogram: 11.8 $ / kg (unchanged)
  • Usable copper yield after scrap: 99 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 92)
  • Fabrication, plating, and freight adders: 1,800 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Variable copper cost = busbar copper mass × copper cost per kilogram × usable copper yield share) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 8,108 $ for total busbar copper cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 15.02 $ / kg for busbar copper cost per kg.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 6,308 $ for variable busbar copper material cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1,800 $ for fabrication, plating, and freight adders.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where usable copper yield after scrap sits at 92% and the headline result is 7,662 $, this scenario comes in 5.82% above the baseline at 8,108 $.
  • It computes total busbar cost as copper mass times price times usable yield share, plus your fixed fabrication, plating, and freight adders. The value of this scenario is the size of the gap it exposes: that gap, priced out over a year, is the budget you can justify spending to close it.

Results at a glance

  • Total busbar copper cost: 8,108 $ (headline result)
  • Busbar copper cost per kg: 15.02 $ / kg
  • Variable busbar copper material cost: 6,308 $
  • Fabrication, plating, and freight adders: 1,800 $

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Busbar Copper Cost calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.