Getting Started: An introduction to Workplace EV Charging

The popularity of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles is booming. Almost a third (31.5%) of new company cars had a plug last year [1] and, with tax incentives in place until at least April 2028, demand is likely to continue during the coming years.

Workplace charging is an important component in that transition. It provides vital infrastructure for shared and depot-based fleets and enables employees to charge where they park. That strategic importance was recognised in the Government's 'Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution' in 2020 [2], and there are several policies in place to support businesses as they install them.

Since 2016, the Workplace Charging Scheme has provided financial support for businesses, charities and public authorities to install EV charging points at work [3].

Administered by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), this covers up to 75% of the hardware and installation costs, a maximum of £350 per outlet. Units with more than one outlet (i.e. capable of charging two vehicles simultaneously) qualify twice. Funding is available for up to 40 outlets per applicant.

The Workplace Charging Scheme application is significantly different to the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme. There is no requirement to have plug-in vehicles in your fleet and you can apply for funding in multiple rounds, rolling out additional infrastructure as you electrify. However, the amount of funding available will depend on the grant scheme at the time.

Businesses can claim a 100% first-year allowance (FYA) for charging points, deducting the total cost from profits before tax. Employees charging at work also do not have to pay benefit-in-kind for the electricity used, even if they are a passenger in the car that’s being charged [4].

The Workplace Charging Scheme only provides funding for off-street parking spaces. These don't have to be adjacent to the workplace itself, but they must be reserved for staff and fleet vehicles associated with the applicant. Charging for visitor or customer parking or businesses registered to a home address are not eligible for the grant.

Otherwise, the requirements are straightforward. Charging points are classed as permitted development and restrictions only apply for [5,6,7]:

• Listed buildings
• Monuments
• Conservation areas
• Installations within two metres of a public highway

For leased properties, applicants need the landlord's permission before claiming.

The Workplace Charging Scheme covers a wide range of equipment so it’s possible to tailor your infrastructure to suit your fleet. Here's what you need to consider:

Charging rates are measured in kilowatts (kW). Funding is available from 3.5kW units (restoring around 12 miles per hour plugged in) to 62.5kW (charging at up to 250 miles per hour) [8]. The fastest rapid chargers, as you’d expect to find at motorway services, are not eligible yet.

For electric vehicles that are typically parked for several hours, or plug-in hybrids with smaller battery packs, 3.5kW or 7kW AC charge points should be adequate. DC 'rapid chargers' are significantly more expensive to buy and install, and usually only required for depots where vehicles have short turnaround times between shifts.

Most new cars and vans use the same Type 2 charging connector, so compatibility issues are rare, but they are still worth considering. Grant funding is available for AC units with a tethered cable or a Type 2 socket that allows drivers to bring their own - similar to charging different portable devices from the same USB port.

The latter offers more flexibility for charging older plug-in vehicles that don't have a Type 2 socket - such as the Nissan e-NV200 and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Rapid chargers always have multiple tethered cables to suit the most common charging connectors, as the cables are much thicker than slower units.

As a foundation for managing demand on the electrical grid, all workplace charging points must include ‘smart’ capability. This requires a built-in data connection, the ability to accurately track and transmit how much energy they supply (or receive, if they have vehicle-to-grid capability) and be capable of deferring charging sessions – either automatically or on request [9].

That hardware means some units can be integrated into a back-office system to monitor users' power consumption, based on individual RFID cards used to begin a charging session. Key and RFID cards could help prevent unauthorised access in areas that are open to the public, or points can be left 'open' to any user. ALD | LeasePlan can provide solutions for each use case.

Installations can only be carried out by OZEV-authorised installers, who also claim the grant on your behalf. The process and associated costs vary, from a few hundred pounds for the slowest AC charge points located close to an existing electrical supply, to tens of thousands for a rapid charger requiring other upgrades.

Each socket must be capable of providing at least 3kW, regardless of how many vehicles are plugged in. OZEV advises an electrical survey before applying, to identify additional work.

[1] Department for Transport. (2023). VEH1153: Vehicles registered for the first time by body type, fuel type and keepership (private and company): Great Britain and United Kingdom. [online] Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66437bbaae748c43d3793ae2/veh1153.ods [Accessed 24 May 2024].

[2] Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. (2020). The ten point plan for a green industrial revolution. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-ten-point-plan-for-a-green-industrial-revolution [Accessed 24 May 2024].

[3] OZEV. (2024). Workplace Charging Scheme: guidance for applicants, chargepoint installers and manufacturers. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workplace-charging-scheme-guidance-for-applicants-installers-and-manufacturers/workplace-charging-scheme-guidance-for-applicants-chargepoint-installers-and-manufacturers [Accessed 24 May 2024].

[4] UK Government. (2023). Employment Income Manual. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/employment-income-manual/eim01035 [Accessed 24 May 2024].

[5] Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. (2015). Town and Country Planning Act (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/town-and-country-planning-general-permitted-development-england-order-2015 [Accessed 24 May 2024].

[6] Department for Communities and Local Government. (2019). Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Amendment) (Wales) Order 2019. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/town-and-country-planning-general-permitted-development-amendment-wales-order-2019 [Accessed 24 May 2024].

[7] Local Government and Communities Directorate. (2014). The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2014. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-town-and-country-planning-general-permitted-development-scotland-amendment-order-2014 [Accessed 24 May 2024].

[8] OZEV. (2023). Workplace Charging Scheme: minimum technical specification. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workplace-charging-scheme-minimum-technical-specification/minimum-technical-specification-workplace-charging-scheme-wcs [Accessed 24 May 2024].

[9] OZEV. (2024). Regulations: electric vehicle smart charge points. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/regulations-electric-vehicle-smart-charge-points [Accessed 24 May 2024].