Government extends EV workplace charging grant scheme

Employers will have access to funding to help pay towards the installation of workplace chargers for another year, after the Government announced it was extending its grant scheme.

The funding was set to finish at the end of March, but the one-year extension was confirmed by future of roads minister, Lilian Greenwood, today (Friday, February 28).

The amount of Government funding for workplace electric vehicle (EV) chargers has also been revealed in new data published by the Department for Transport (DfT).

Almost 60,000 charge points at have been installed by employers thanks to funding from the workplace charging scheme (WCS) since it was launched in 2016.

The Government grant provides support for organisations towards the cost of installing up to 40 EV charge point sockets at their sites.

The scheme covers up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV charge points through a voucher, capped at a maximum of £350 per socket, and is open to businesses, charities and public sector organisations.

Successful, applicants are issued with a unique identification voucher towards the cost of their charging device.

There is a separate scheme with a different grant amount for state-funded education institutions. 

Cumulative growth of WCS funded sockets

Source: DfT

The new DfT figures show that 3,901 vouchers were redeemed corresponding to the installation of 6,565 sockets last year, equating to £2.3 million in funding.

It brings the total amount of cash provided to employers through the scheme to £21.8m since launch. 

Regional distribution of total number of WCS socket installations and per 100,000 of population

Source: DfT

The South East has had the highest uptake with 8,613 sockets installed, while Wales and Northern Ireland had the lowest, 2,224 and 1,024 respectively. 

Together, Wales and Northern Ireland have accounted for 5.5% of total sockets installed under the WCS in the UK.

In terms of WCS funded sockets per 100,000 population in each UK region, London has had the lowest rate of WCS installations, with 44 WCS installations per 100,000 population.

Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland also had fewer WCS installations per 100,000 than any English region except London.

Alongside the extension to the workplace scheme, the Government also confirmed that grants for EV chargers at flats and rental properties, worth up to £350, will be extended by a further 12 months.