Fleet EV Charging: The Complete UK Infrastructure Guide
Fleet electrification isn't just about vehicles - it's about building an energy ecosystem. Get the charging infrastructure right and your TCO drops by 30%. Get it wrong and EVs cost more than diesel.
Get Fleet Charging QuoteWhy Infrastructure Determines Fleet EV Success
Public Charging Dependency
Energy cost: 75p+/kWh at rapid chargers
Cost per mile: 20-25p (more than diesel)
Driver downtime: 30-60 min per charge
Unpredictable availability: Queue risk
TCO advantage: None - often worse than diesel
Depot-First Strategy
Energy cost: 8-10p/kWh (off-peak depot)
Cost per mile: 3-4p
Driver downtime: Zero (overnight charging)
100% availability: Ready every morning
TCO advantage: 70-80% fuel cost reduction
The Infrastructure Imperative
A fleet that relies on public charging will not achieve TCO parity with diesel. Investing in depot infrastructure is the only way to secure the energy costs (3-4p/mile vs 17-20p/mile diesel) that make electrification financially viable. This isn't optional - it's the business case.
5-Year TCO: Electric vs Diesel Van Fleet
| Cost Component | Diesel (ICE) | Electric (EV) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Purchase | £30,000 | £45,000 | EV premium ~50% |
| Plug-in Van Grant | £0 | -£5,000 | Up to £5,000 for large vans |
| Fuel/Energy (100k miles) | £17,400 | £4,000 | Depot charging at 9p/kWh |
| Maintenance (SMR) | £4,500 | £2,500 | No oil, filters, reduced brakes |
| VED (Road Tax) | £1,500 | £500 | EVs taxable from 2025 |
| ULEZ/CAZ Charges | £5,000+ | £0 | ~£23/day London ULEZ avoided |
| Infrastructure (amortised) | £0 | £5,000 | Share of depot charger install |
| Total 5-Year Cost | £58,400 | £51,600 | Save £6,800/vehicle |
Based on Ford Transit Custom, 20,000 miles/year, diesel at £1.50/L achieving 35mpg. Depot electricity at 9p/kWh off-peak.
How Many Chargers Does Your Fleet Need?
| Fleet Size | Ratio (EV:Charger) | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Small (<10 vehicles) | 1:1 | High redundancy required - single charger failure impacts operations significantly |
| Medium (10-50) | 1.5:1 | Vehicle rotation manageable - software moves vehicles once charged |
| Large (50+) | 2:1 | Sophisticated load management allows asset sharing - significant CAPEX savings |
| Operational Critical | 1:1 | Emergency services, delivery fleets with simultaneous start times - 100% readiness required |
7kW AC
Overnight depot charging
25-30 miles/hour • Best for: Predictable routes <100mi/day
22kW AC
Shift-change charging
75-90 miles/hour • Limited by vehicle OBC (often 11kW max)
50kW+ DC
Rapid turnaround
80% in 40-60min • Best for: Multi-shift ops, HGVs
Grid Connection: The Critical Path
Grid connection is frequently the longest lead time in fleet electrification. The "fit and forget" era is over - you must proactively engage your DNO.
Step 1: Assess Your Headroom
Every commercial site has an "Authorized Supply Capacity" (ASC) in kVA. Analyze your half-hourly smart meter data to find your peak demand. The gap between peak and ASC is your headroom for EV charging.
The 30% Rule: If proposed EV load is <30% of total demand and within ASC, a simple DNO notification may suffice. Beyond 30% triggers formal assessment.
Step 2: Submit Early
Apply for the maximum capacity you'll need in 5 years, not just Year 1. Standard G99 approvals take 45-65 working days. Complex applications with reinforcement can take 3-6 months.
Step 3: Consider Flexible Connections
Profiled connections allow variable capacity - e.g., 50kVA daytime (when your building needs power), 500kVA overnight (when vehicles charge). This aligns with delivery fleet schedules and avoids costly upgrades.
Reinforcement Costs
If the local network can't supply your needs, you may pay for upgrades. Recent regulatory changes (Significant Code Review) mean DNOs now fund more of this - typically you only pay for "extension assets" (the cable to your site). Costs range from £6,000 for minor works to £100,000+ for new substations.
Smart Charging: Where Software Creates Value
Unmanaged charging - where every vehicle draws maximum power on plug-in - is financially and technically ruinous. Smart charging can let you install 3-4x more chargers on the same grid connection.
Static Load Management
Fixed limit shared across chargers. Example: 100A supply split between 5 chargers. One vehicle gets full current; five vehicles share equally. Simple but inflexible.
Dynamic Load Management
CMS monitors total site load in real-time. As building demand drops overnight, freed capacity goes to EVs. Maximizes existing connection - often 3-4x more chargers than static allows.
Time-of-Use Optimization
Standard business electricity: ~24p/kWh flat rate. Off-peak ToU tariffs: 7-10p/kWh (00:00-05:00).
Smart charging concentrates demand in these cheap windows. For 100 vans each charging 30kWh nightly: off-peak saves £4,200/week vs daytime charging.
Available Grants for Fleet Charging (2025/26)
Depot Charging Scheme
New £30M scheme covers 75% of depot infrastructure costs. For fleets operating electric vans and HGVs.
Cap: Up to £1 million per applicant
Workplace Charging Scheme
Covers 75% of socket costs, capped at £350 each. Up to 40 sockets per applicant (£14,000 max).
Deadline: Ends March 2026
Full WCS guide →EV Infrastructure Grant
For SMEs - covers groundworks and cabling, not just chargers. £500 per passive space, £350 per active socket.
Strategic: Wire all bays now, install chargers later
Fleet Electrification in Practice
Royal Mail (Optimise Prime Trial)
World's largest commercial EV trial
Demonstrated profiled connections - by analyzing sorting office loads, they found grid capacity was high overnight. Smart charging limited daytime power and ramped up at night, avoiding costly grid reinforcements.
Key learning: Winter range dropped ~30% due to heating/battery management. Infrastructure sizing must include this buffer.
British Gas (Return-to-Home Fleet)
Distributed charging for service engineers
Thousands of engineers take vans home. Manual processing of home energy receipts was impossible at scale. Solution: direct-to-supplier payment platform (Mina) that pays the driver's energy supplier directly.
Key learning: Digital-first reimbursement models are essential for return-to-home fleets.
Veolia (V2G Trial)
Electric refuse collection vehicles
eRCVs have batteries ~6x larger than passenger cars with predictable downtime. Trial showed two trucks could discharge 110kW - enough to power 110 homes during peak evening hours.
Key learning: Heavy-duty fleets with large batteries can become "virtual power plants" through V2G.
Implementation Roadmap
Data Discovery (Months 1-3)
Deploy telematics on ICE fleet. Identify "low-hanging fruit" - vehicles with predictable routes <100 miles/day. Calculate daily kWh requirements, not just mileage.
Design & Grid Application (Months 3-9)
Submit G99 for maximum 5-year capacity, not just Year 1. Design site with passive provision (ducting) for 100% of bays - laying extra ducting now is far cheaper than re-excavating later.
Procurement & Pilot (Months 9-12)
Procure OCPP-compliant hardware to avoid vendor lock-in. Implement CMS with dynamic load management. Trial payment solutions (Mina/Paua) with a pilot driver group.
Scale & Optimize (Year 2+)
Activate smart charging for ToU tariffs. Explore V2G for revenue generation. Transition energy contracts to Corporate PPAs for long-term price hedging.
Frequently Asked Questions
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