Workplace charging: How businesses can support EV uptake

Is the workplace electric charging infrastructure the key to EV uptake?

With the uptake of electric company vehicles increasing, it’s important for your business to adapt and introduce electric charging points at your workplace

There’s no doubt about it, the future is electric.

And thanks to the looming 2030 ban on ICE vehicles, your business may be looking to transition into an electric fleet.

However, there are also many businesses who are still reluctant to make the switch to electric due to range anxiety, charging hassle and expenses.

As the race to electrification gains momentum, the need for charging points is ever-increasing. But the current electric charging infrastructure is insufficient to meet the rising demand from EV drivers.

Whether you need to power your fleet or your employees’ own vehicles, offering reliable and accessible workplace charging will make an electric vehicle a more viable business choice and encourage your employees to make the switch.

With the inevitability of electrification, now is the perfect time for your business to consider workplace electric charging to get ahead of the curve and reap the benefits.

How will your business benefit from installing workplace electric charging points?

Attract and retain employees

Installing charger points at your workplace will provide charging convenience, especially to those who don’t have a home charger.

It can make life a lot easier for your employees, improving employee satisfaction and productivity.

It’s also a great perk to offer and make you stand out from other employers when recruiting new people. You’re more likely to attract forward thinking employees who may already own electric vehicles as well as those that live further away.

Save money

Workplace chargers may seem like a big investment, but there are government incentives in place to considerably reduce the upfront cost. These support channels are changing all the time, but you can book a call with our team to understand what is available to you at any time.

It makes sense to switch to electric and install charging points as soon as possible while there’s financial support available to reduce any financial burden while you transition. 

Installing workplace electric charging points will help your employees save on fuel costs and there are significant tax incentives for businesses with a fully electric fleet.

Solve range anxiety

One of the contributing factors for the slow EV transition is range anxiety, and the lack of EV infrastructure doesn’t help this.

Following at-home charging, your workplace would be another favourable place for your employees to charge their EV considering they spend around eight hours of the day at work.

As a business, you’ll make it easy for your employees to commute to work without having to worry about topping up.

Reduce your business’ carbon footprint and showcase your sustainability goals

Installing workplace electric charging points will show your clients that you’re a modern and green workspace and will encourage your employees to make the switch. If you expect customer or client visits at your premises it also makes those journeys more accessible for many, as well as more enticing.

Offering a place for your employees, customers and clients to charge their EV is a great way to show that your company is eco conscious and committed to sustainability.

If the majority of your workforce switches to electric, and you consider transitioning your fleet to EV, your carbon footprint will dramatically reduce and it will accelerate your journey to zero-emissions.

Things to consider

The transition to an electric fleet isn’t easy or simple.

If you’re pressing your employees to make the switch to electric, or upgrading the majority of your fleet to pure electric vehicles, you’re going to need to install EV charging points at your site.

The best way to encourage electrification is to make the transition as easy as possible for your staff and electric charging points will provide the utmost convenience for your employees.

Workplace electric charging may be difficult to wrap your head around and there are a number of things you’ll want to consider before you start installing charging points at your premises.

This could include:

How many chargers do you need?

For a fleet, it makes sense to have enough chargers for the maximum number of your fleet vehicles on site at one time.

You’ll need to workout how many of your staff have electric vehicles already, as well as how many are going to adopt them in the future.

Also, who’s going to use the charge points?

If some EV drivers already have their own home chargers and their commute is less than 10 miles, they probably won’t need to charge their EV at work. For others, a workplace charge point will be the only way they can charge their EV at an affordable rate.

If you’re going to allow your visitors or customers to use the charge points too, you’ll need to make sure you have enough for everyone to use.

What type of charger do you need to install?

The charging times are extremely important when it comes to running an EV.

A rapid charger might sound like the best way to go, but this isn’t always the case as they require a lot more power and are more expensive to install too.

So, you’ll need to think realistically about how long your employees’ vehicles will be parked for to work out what speed charge points you actually need to provide.

It’s likely that most commutes won’t be anything higher than 10 miles and if their EV is sat charging at an office for roughly eight hours, a slower AC charging station should be able to get it fully charged anyway.

However, if you’re going to allow visitors to use the chargers too, you might also need some fast or rapid chargers for a speedy top up.

And if you do opt solely for fast chargers, your employees might need to move their EVs after a couple of hours to allow another EV driver to charge their car once theirs is charged up enough. If you went down this route, you probably wouldn’t need a huge number of chargers.

There are a lot of different options and it’s all down to your specific needs, so it’s definitely a big question to ponder.

Where should you locate your EV charge points?

You might have a preferred location for where you want your chargers installed but it might not necessarily be the most ideal.

It’s likely you’ll need to get your workplace site assessed in order to plan where your chargers can be installed and to make sure adding any additional chargers in the future will be easy.

Consider where your access to the power supply is. One of the additional costs of installing EV chargers is the digging that takes place to lay down electric cables from your supply to the chargers.

That’s why most chargers are placed adjacent to the building as that’s where the power supply is.

Should your employees pay a fee for workplace charging?

This is all down to choice, since HMRC don’t categorise electricity as a vehicle fuel, businesses are able to offer free charging without worrying their staff about Benefit in Kind tax.

So, you could charge them for the amount of electricity they use which would allow you to be reimbursed for the initial installation and maintenance costs and eventually make some profit.

Some businesses charge at a reduced rate so it’s cheaper than using a public charger and many on-site charge points now offer contactless payment for ease.

Or you could offer free EV charging as an incentive for your employees to encourage EV uptake.

I rent my work premises; can I install an EV charger?

If you rent or lease your work premises, you would need to get permission from your landlord.

What government support is available?

Installing EV charger is expensive, so there are various incentives from the government to encourage workplace charging and the uptake of EVs. These schemes have been designed to help businesses with the cost of installing charging points and associated infrastructure.

Due to the fast nature of the EV market, government schemes are changing all the time, so it’s important to check what’s available to you. Make sure you check if your business is eligible for the workplace charging scheme.

The government scheme supports businesses with the upfront cost of the purchase and installation of electric vehicle charging points, covering up to 75% of the cost if you meet the criteria.

You’d get access to £350 per socket and you’re capped at 40 sockets across all your sites.

Other workplace charging solutions

Businesses that are serious about reducing their carbon footprint may want to source their energy from renewable power.

Commercial solar panels are another workplace charging solution and can help you save on charging costs. If you generate the electricity from solar to charge your EVs directly, your vehicle’s battery can also be used to optimise your building’s energy use.

How Corparison can help with workplace electric charging

The Corparison team are experts in electrification. We can walk you through what to consider when installing workplace electric charging, discuss any pros and cons, present costs and logistics to consider, as well as arranging the installation should you wish to proceed. With over 300 years of automotive experience across our team and platinum rated service levels, you're in safe hands.