Pod Point to top-up EV workplace charging scheme grants after cut

Chargepoint supplier Pod Point is to top-up the drop in the OLEV workplace charging scheme (WCS) grants to cut the costs of installing infrastructure at workplaces.

The Government last month announced it was reducing the maximum given under the WCS from £500 to £350 per socket up to a maximum of 40 sockets.

Until July 14, Pod Point will top-up the grant with either £100 (for 1-10 charging sockets), £150 (for 11-20 sockets) or £200 (21-40 sockets).

This means if a company orders 40 sockets, they will save £550 per socket, which is a total saving of £22,000.

Erik Fairbairn, founder and CEO at Pod Point, said: “The new 0% benefit-in-kind rate for fully electric vehicles is a powerful incentive to go electric.

“Before coronavirus it was expected to drive a massive increase in demand for company EVs as well as the charging infrastructure needed to support them.

“We think that once things start getting back to normal, we’ll still see this happen - the savings to the driver are significant enough that even historically low crude prices will be unable to change the equation.

“The tangibly cleaner air we’re experiencing during lockdown is also making many drivers and businesses look more closely at electric vehicles.

“During what is a difficult time, and following OLEV’s recent reduction of the WCS grant, we’re topping the grant back up for a limited period to make it easier for businesses to transition to EV.”

Under the changes to the WCS, the grant is set at £350 towards the cost of purchase and installation of a chargepoint at home through the electric vehicle homecharge scheme, and £350 towards a chargepoint socket at work through the workplace charging scheme. This is a reduction from £500.

Businesses are now allowed 40 sockets under the workplace charging scheme, up from 20.

The grant has also been extended to include larger electric motorbikes.