Cut anxiety and downtime with a robust electric vehicle charging plan

This feature was taken from our comprehensive Guide to Running an Electric Fleet. Click here to read the full special report.

Charging is regularly identified as one of the biggest concerns both organisations and drivers have over the transition to electric vehicles.

After all, a battery electric vehicle with a flat battery is unusable while, without proper planning, they could spend a significant amount of time during the day being charged instead of being put to work.

This means a robust charging strategy which includes when and how BEVs are charged is a must.

There will be no one-size-fits-all answer for this: it will not be the same for all organisations and will likely not be different for different vehicles on the same fleet.

An important first step is to assess the duty cycles of BEVs and their range, and match them to the available charging options. It may be that vehicles do not need to be charged every day.

For organisations which operate a back-to-base model where vehicles are left at a central site overnight, it makes a lot of sense to install workplace charging infrastructure so they can be plugged in when parked up, ready to be used the following morning.

Workplace charging can also be used during the day by company car drivers who commute to work or travel between company premises, as well as other employees who drive EVs.

If employees take their EVs home at night and they have off-road parking, it may be possible for them to have a charge point installed at their dwelling and plug their vehicle in there.

However, when that is not possible – it is estimated that between 30% and 40% of UK households do not have a drive – or if a BEV needs to do long-distance journeys, then the charging strategy should also include the public charging network.

The use of telematics and route optimisation software makes planning where drivers charge much easier, as they can show the location and type of chargers in relation to the vehicle route.

The technologies can also allow organisations to time charging to coincide with drivers’ breaks, minimising disruption to the working day.

Telematics can also be used to confirm that employees are rapid charging to 80% and not lingering to slow charge to 100%, which is seen as the most productive balance of work availability against charging time.

Organisations also often try to minimise use of using rapid charging on the public network as it is the most expensive option, and low operating costs are an essential part of their electrification objectives.

Additionally, in cases where there is limited charging provision such as in remote areas, telematics means work can be planned around the few charge points that are available, making EVs usable in places where there might otherwise be difficulties.

Here we look at the three charging options, the challenges surrounding them and how they can be used by fleets.

Workplace/depot charging

Most organisations will look to install some workplace charging, even if it is only a handful of points to support electric company car drivers or visitors.

For fleets where vehicles are left on-site overnight, the charging provision will need to be much larger.

In both instances, an organisation needs to consider a number of factors when installing workplace charging infrastructure.

Firstly, if the site is leased, then the organisation will need to speak to the landlord to gain permission to carry out the work.

It also needs to consider how many charge points are needed. To determine this, a company will need to consider the number of EVs operated both currently and in the future, the number of available parking bays and the available budget for the installation.

It also needs to consider what speed of charger is required and this will depend largely on the amount of time the vehicle is parked.

If it can be charged overnight, for example, a slow charger may be sufficient, but if the required turnaround is faster, a rapid charge point may be needed to give them the extra range to fulfil all tasks

Consider also the speed with which the vehicle can draw the charge. It varies considerably and ultimately limits how fast the vehicle battery can take on the power.

There are also big differences in the cost of buying and installing charge points. For example, a 7kW charge point capable of charging two vehicles at the same time can cost around £2,000 to install, while a 150kW rapid charger is upwards of £35,000.

An organisation should also assess the electricity supply to the premises to check it has the capacity to power all of the chargers needed.

If it doesn’t, two main options exist. A smart charging system could be used and this will be able to spread or reduce the speed of the charging sessions but still ensure all vehicles are ready when they need to be.

However, if this is not suitable – for example, if all the vehicles have a short turnaround before they need to be used again so need to be charged at the same time - then an upgraded substation may be required at the site.

Before April 2023 the organisation was responsible for footing the considerable bill, but Ofgem has ruled the cost now has to be spread across the electricity distribution sector instead.

Organisations are still responsible for any groundworks needed on their sites, and this will influence the location of any charge points as the more digging which is needed to lay cables, the more expensive the install becomes.

The closer charge points are to the site’s power supply, the less groundwork needs to be carried out.

Typically, this will be found within a main building, which is why charge points tend to be adjacent to it rather than in the middle of a car park.

Government help towards the cost of installing workplace charging is available.

Its Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) has so far assisted more than 7,000 businesses and the grants cover up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV charge points, capped at a maximum of £350 per socket and 40 sockets across all sites per applicant.

Organisations can also claim up to the full amount, but slowly roll out the installation of chargers: they do not all have to be installed at the same time.

This means an organisaton could choose one or two sites to trial the full process of planning and installing chargers, and gather data on potential usage for when it rolls them out further.

A further decision to take is whether it should charge drivers for using the charge points.

For vehicles which are used purely for work purposes, the answer is obviously no, but it is more complicated for drivers who do not have job-need vehicles, such as many company car drivers or other employees who have their own BEV.

For these, there are no benefit-in-kind tax implications if an organisation wishes to provide free charging to them as electricity is not classed as a vehicle fuel by HMRC.

However, an organisation may not wish to pay for EV charging at scale so can set a fee for usage.

This could see drivers being billed for either the amount of electricity used or the length of time a vehicle has been plugged in.

Who is using the workplace charge points, when and for how long can be managed through groups on media channels such as shared calendars, WhatsApp or MS Teams, while drivers who stay in a charging bay for too long could be charged an increased amount to deter this.

Charge points can be operated by staff RFID (radio-frequency identification) cards, apps or contactless cards provided by the company which installs and manages the units.

Home charging

For many organisations, having employees charging at home will be the most convenient and cost-effective option.

The cost of electricity will be lower at a domestic premises than at a commercial one, while it will usually also mean the employee does not need to spend any time during working hours charging.

However, this option will not suit all organisations or drivers. As previously stated, it is estimated that between 30% and 40% of UK households do not have off-street parking where they could install a charge point, but in reality the number will be higher due to the practical challenges of installing points in rented accommodation or where parking spaces are not adjacent to the building.

Organisations have also found that some drivers who do have suitable off-street parking and take their vans home at night are unwilling to park them on their driveway if it means leaving their own car on the roadside.

Some employers either provide or contribute towards the cost of a home charge point to incentivise drivers to take BEVS and make the transition as easy as possible.

Some leasing companies can also include the provision of a home charge point as part of a vehicle finance agreement.

The decision whether to supply a home charge point to an employee is also influenced by if the vehicle is a perk or a job-need one. Employers tend to feel they have more of an obligation to provide a home charge point for those workers who need their vehicle to carry out their role.

Home charge points are either 3.7kW or 7kW, depending on the electricity supply to the house, and typically cost between £800 and £1,000.

Public charging network

The public charging infrastructure has a key role to play in the successful uptake of BEVs, whether the driver does not have access to another form of charging or if it is used by motorists for a top-up during longer journeys, for example.

However, it does come under a lot of fire for being inadequate for current and future needs future needs

Latest Zap-Map figures show that there were 40,496 public charging devices in 23,902 locations in March, a 35% increase on 12 months ago. More than 7,500 of these charge points are rapid or ultra-rapid.

However, the number of chargers which will ultimately be needed is unknown, and estimates vary.

For example, in its Taking Charge: The Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy report, the Government said the UK will probably need at least 300,000 by 2030, while the Society for Motor Manufacturers puts the figure at 2.3 million.

Equally important as the overall number of chargers is their location. Department for Transport analysis shows the spread is not uniform throughout the UK, with London and Scotland having much better coverage than regions such as the North West, the Midlands and the South West.

Public charge points fall into three main categories: high-speed on-route and charging hubs, destination chargers and on-street provision.

The high-speed facilities tend to be on or near trunk roads, while the destination charger description covers those found at supermarkets, shopping centres and cinemas: places where the vehicle could be left for several hours while its occupants take part in another activity.

On-street charge points are those, for example, installed in lampposts or on the side of the road and have slower charging rates as they are intended for people to park up and use overnight.

A consistent issue over the public charging network is payment, with traditional concerns over the number of different apps, accounts and RFID cards people need to use charge points from different operators.

This issue still exists but the situation has improved in recent years. The Government has, for example, mandated that users should be able to use contactless payment at rapid charge points.

A number of companies also offer products similar to the traditional fuel card, which allows a driver to use charge points owned by different operators to pay using a single card.

A Guide to Fleet Electrification: a special digital report.

Fleet News has published a digital report offering advice to any business taking those first steps into the world of electric vehicles, while laying out the challenges to those yet to start their transition.

Companies operating fleets of cars and vans have less than seven years until they will no longer be able to buy full petrol and diesel vehicles.

For many, that means a maximum of two replacement cycles.

Yet a large proportion have not started to consider the implications for their businesses; some have no plans to look at electric vehicle scenarios until close to the 2030 deadline, according to Fleet News surveys.

A few still believe the Government will soften its stance and push back the deadline due to the current supply delays.

These businesses are playing a high-risk strategy: transitioning to electric is rarely straightforward.

Among the many considerations are the installation of workplace charging infrastructure, reimbursement policies and the possible reworking of daily workflows and journey plans to accommodate vehicles, particularly light commercial vehicles, with less range.

The Fleet News Guide to Running an Electric Fleet will help companies to take those first steps, offering advice to speed up and simplify the process.

It also details the electric vehicles coming soon from Audi, BMW, Cupra, Ford, Kia, Hyundai, Peugeot, Polestar, Tesla, Vauxhall, Volvo and Volkswagen.

Report sponsors Allstar, ATS Euromaster, Europcar, Northgate Vehicle Hire, Zenith and Webfleet also offer their advice for a smooth and speedy transition.