A Guide To EV Charging

An introduction to EVs

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Shawton Energy works with businesses throughout the UK to deliver funded renewable solutions such as solar, batteries and EV charging. This guide has been written to be an independent view on the topic of EV charging.

Shawton Energy is happy to support businesses in their transition to installing EV into their premises – either single or multi-sites. We feel that a combined solar and EV project offers the best solution and therefore are able to offer a fully funded solution when providing both technologies, which means no upfront investment and continued operation and maintenance of the solution for the long-term.

Why EV Charging?

The installation of EV charging infrastructure provides EV drivers with a solution to charging, giving them confidence in the ability to charge at their place of employment and their business destination.

Electric cars and vans also offer the opportunity to change the way we fuel vehicles with a shift towards “Life-Style Charging” where the solution fits with our current habits and behaviours, increasing convenience for users. For example, providing the ability to refuel a vehicle whilst visiting a destination – both business and pleasure.

Why EVs?

By 2035, the UK Government is ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars

The number of EVs in the UK is expected to grow

Future cars and vans will emit significantly fewer emissions and form part of a cleaner transport network throughout the UK

2.8% of total cars and vans in the UK are electric. This totals to over 1.1 million

The UK Government expects EVs to represent 20% of total cars and vans by 2025, and 100% by 2050

Benefits of EV charging to a business

Introducing EVs and associated charging infrastructure could have significant financial savings, but also impact the way in which a business operates in the future. An overview of the benefits of EV charging to businesses include:

Generate Revenue

Installing EV charge points also provides businesses with an opportunity for a new revenue stream.

Meeting Targets

Businesses are increasingly looking to reduce their carbon footprint. Encouraging visitors and employees to use EVs (along with other low carbon options) will help contribute to this.

Employee Perks

Free or partially subsidised charging for employees can encourage more sustainable travel, as well as being a positive perk for staff. A part subsidised offer could also contribute to the cost of installing and running the charge points for the business.

The Deciding Factor

As more people start to drive EVs, a destination that offers EV charging could attract more visitors. Visitors are also increasingly thinking about sustainable ways to travel, and offering this service, alongside other sustainable credentials, could encourage new visitors.

B Corporation

Contribution to gaining a B Corporation certification. B Corporation is a certification for companies that measures their social and environmental performance. Being B-Corp certified reinforces a company’s social responsibility credentials and can strengthen customer perceptions of your brand.

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Where to start with EV Charging?

The EV charging market is a quickly changing landscape and can be confusing, but this guide is here to help you navigate the market by taking you through the journey.

This section provides an overview of where to start with EV charging.

Types of EV charging points

There are four main types of EV charging: Slow, Fast, Rapid and Ultra-Rapid.

It is important to choose a type of charging that best fits your needs. The key questions to consider are:

How many vehicles do you want to charge at one time?
How quickly do vehicles need to charge?

The types of charging infrastructure are related directly to the power output and the speed at which a vehicle is charged. Table 1 below outlines the four types of charging, their speed, charging time, and power supply requirements. A Single-phase electricity supply is smaller and commonly used for domestic purposes, whereas three-phase is more powerful and commonly used for industrial purposes.

How to connect EV charge points?

EV charging points operate by connecting to your on-site electrical connection.

EV charging points operate by connecting to your on-site electrical connection. The electricity used is usually billed as part of your existing electrical supply via your meter. Rapid and Ultra-Rapid chargers need a three-phase supply in order to operate.

An established charge point supplier will undertake all necessary steps to connect an EV charge point to your electrical connection. The steps required to check your electrical capacity are detailed in the Steps to Installation.

Type	Charge Point Speed	Estimated Charge Time	Electrical Supply	Cost Estimate
Slow Charging	3.6kW	6-8 hours	Single-phase	Up to £750
Fast Charging	7kW	3-4 hours	Single-phase	£1,700 – £5,000
Fast Charging	22kW	1-2 hours	Single-phase	£1,700 – £15,000
Rapid Charging	23-50kW	20-40 minutes	Three-phase	£15,000 – £30,000
Ultra-Rapid Charging	51kW +	20 minutes	Three-phase	£50,000 – £60,000

A single 50kW Rapid Charging unit could have the same impact on the electrical network as 25 gas heated flats.

Note, these costs do not include the costs associated with installation of charge points. The cost for charge point installation is highly variable and is dependent on the amount of work that is required on your premises.

How to finance charge points?

Installing EV charge points can be a significant cost for small to medium businesses.

The majority of small businesses self-fund EV charging units with help from Government incentives.

Government Incentives
Workplace Charging Scheme
Funding is available to help workplaces install EV charge points at their premises. The OZEV Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) is a voucher-based scheme which provides grant funding for the installation of charge points. It covers up to 75% (inc. VAT) of the costs to purchase and install charge points – capped at £350 per socket and 40 sockets maximum at a single site.

The grant is open to businesses, charities and public sector organisations that meet site criteria, which includes:

Minimum of 3kW must be available to each individual socket, which is not divided when used simultaneously.
No more than one socket installed for each accessible parking space.
Be for staff/fleet to use.

Note, customer parking is not eligible for the WCS.

Where to Install Charge Points?

There are a number of things to consider when installing EV charge points.

Consideration should be given to:

Who is using the charger and where do they park?

Type of charging solution? Wall or post mounted?

Where is your preferred location?

Where is the most visible location?

Where do you have space for a charging unit?

Where is the nearest electrical connection?

EV Infrastructure Grant for Staff and Fleets

The charge points installed must be exclusively for staff or fleet use, and the business must have 249 employees or less. Each business can receive up to 5 grants in total. Each grant can be awarded up to a maximum of £15,000. A minimum of 5 parking spaces must be provisioned as part of the grant.6

EV Infrastructure Grant for Landlords

This grant gives financial support up to 75% of the cost towards the purchase and installation of a charge point up to £350. Landlords are able to claim 100 grants per year for commercial properties and reserve the rights to install at one or many locations.

The UK Government has committed £950 million to high powered EV chargers on the strategic road network.

Private Funding

In some cases, an EV charge point supplier may offer to install charge point(s) free of charge, providing you as a business with a percentage share of any profit. A privately funded model will likely require several years to “wash its face”,
therefore, the business may not see any potential profit share until EV uptake has significantly increased.

When combined with a solar solution project Shawton Energy can fund the EV charging solution at no cost. Please contact us for more details.

It is recommended that businesses investigate different options to finance charge points and consider which financing scenario presents the best value for money.

A Step-by-step Guide to Installation

Consider charge point type & number

The first step is to determine what type of charge points and how many you want to install. As discussed earlier, you need to consider which type of charge point is right for your customer base. This is expected to take place in weeks 1-2.

Consider potential location

When you have decided how many charge points you wish to install and the type, you should consider where they could go on your premises. A suitable location for EV charging points should consider factors outlined in Where to install charge point(s). An EV charge point supplier will also be able to help determine potential locations within your premises. This is expected to take place in weeks 1-2.

Research charge point suppliers

Once the type, number and location of your potential charge point(s) has been determined, potential charge point suppliers should be researched. The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles has an approved charge point supplier list. This is expected to take place in weeks 2-4.

Site Survey

A site survey will be needed to determine if your location has sufficient electrical capacity for the proposed charge point(s). This is often undertaken free of charge by charge point suppliers. The surveys will determine if additional work, such as a network upgrade or new supply, will be needed to install the proposed charge point(s). The charge point supplier may check the following during a site visit:

Check fuse rating
Electrical supply
Available electrical capacity

The site survey will help to determine the number and type of charge point(s) that can be installed on your premises. This is expected to take place in weeks 2-4.

Charge Point Supplier to provide quote

Following the site visit, a charge point supplier will be able to provide a quote for the supply and installation of a electric vehicle charge point(s). At a minimum, a charge point supplier quote↘should include:

Charge point(s) hardware
Delivery
Full installation
Charge point commissioning

Additional optional services may also include:

Maintenance & Servicing Plan
Protective Bollards
Signage
Bay Markings

Supplier installation

If the quote provided by the supplier is deemed acceptable, you can proceed to payment and installation. The installation process will involve performing any necessary groundworks to provide power, connecting the charge point(s) to the electricity grid, and finishing the site for public use. The supplier can then commission the charge point. This is expected to take place in weeks 6-10.

Additional Steps

If your premises have no spare electrical capacity, additional steps will need to be undertaken with your District Network Operator (DNO) and Energy Supplier.

These steps will include an upgrade to your current connection or a new supply.

What is a DNO?
Your District Network Operator (DNO) is the company that owns, operates and maintains the power lines that connect the national grid to your premises.

Who is my Energy Supplier?
Your Energy Supplier is the organisation you pay your electricity bill to.

FAQs

How are charge points maintained?

Having a reliable charge point gives visitors confidence in the ability to charge. So, reliable, well-maintained charge points are essential. Appointing a single company to carry out servicing, maintenance, and repairs ensures consistency. This cost can be requested as part of the initial supplier quote.

Is planning permission required?

Whether you need planning permission depends on the type of charger being installed and the location of your site. Working with your chosen supplier, this can be reviewed and assessed and required permissions can be sought.

What are passive charging points?

Passive EV charging provision is when the underground supporting infrastructure, such as cabling to parking spaces, is in place to ensure easy installation for the future. It is recommended businesses consider passive provision when installing units to minimise future costs and future-proof your investment.

What is smart charging?

Smart charging is a term encompassing intelligent functionalities of chargers to distribute the available power in an efficient and flexible way. For example, load balancing distributes the available capacity proportionally over all active charging stations to ensure that optimal charging is provided to all EVs, within the capacity of the supply. Smart charging functionality can help avoid expensive network upgrades on a large number of chargers.

How much should the customer be charged?

It is recommended a tariff is put in place to cover ongoing operational expenditure costs, such as electricity costs, however this is up to the host businesses who may also provide EV charging services free of charge.

Tariffs are set at a pence per kWh rate. Current tariffs in the UK range from 20 p/kWh to 45p/kWh. The higher rates are often found on higher powered charging units.

How do I make charge points accessible?

All charge point(s) should be as accessible as possible. Key considerations should include ensuring there is enough space for people who use wheelchairs to be able to safely use charge points, as well as things like the height of the charge point, and the design of the screen and charging information.

Can solar panels be integrated to EV charging?

Where the electrical grid is constrained, common in rural areas, integrating renewable energy provides a way of delivering some of the power required. We recommend discussing options with potential charge point providers if you are interested in integrating renewable energy with EV charging infrastructure.

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