Charging Options for Electric Vans

The EV charging market is developing rapidly, with charging hubs that have dedicated bays for electric vans springing up, and measures to make it easier and cheaper to install a large number of chargers at depots. 

That means if you previously dismissed the idea of switching some of your petrol or diesel vans to electric because the charging options seemed limited then it’s time to revisit the idea. 

Workplace charging

If your van drivers leave their vans parked at a depot overnight or regularly visit workplace locations then it makes sense to look at installing EV charging points. 

There is help from the Government towards the cost thanks to the workplace charging scheme. This covers up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV chargepoints (including VAT) for organisations in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The scheme is capped at a maximum of £350 per socket and 40 sockets across all sites per applicant. 

Funding is confirmed until at least 31 March 2025 and the Government says it will aim to give four weeks’ notice if the grant ends or the grant amount changes. 

It’s important to think about not just how many chargers you need now but how many you might need in the future as you transition more internal combustion engine (ICE) vans to electric. 

Your charge point provider will carry out a site survey and should help you decide which charger types are most suitable for your business, taking into account how much time a van may be parked up for charging, the number of vehicles you need to charge and grid capacity at the site.  

Under rules set by the energy regulator Ofgem, distribution network operators (DNOs) now often share the cost of an upgrade if you don’t have enough capacity. 

There are other ways to reduce the cost of charging at workplace locations such as fitting solar panels to the roof of the building or charging off peak. 

Home charging 

If your van drivers have off-road parking and take their vans home every night it may be possible for them to use a standard three-pin home electric socket to charge but this is very slow and could cause safety issues. 

A better option is to have a home wallbox fitted which could make charging three-times faster. If you fund the installation cost then you should check the latest tax implications. 

You can reimburse drivers for the cost of electricity using the advisory electric rate (AER) set by the Government each quarter (7 pence per mile as of 1 December 2024) or you can use the actual cost. The cheapest option for drivers will be an overnight charging tariff from their electricity provider. 

Public charging 

The public EV charging network is now developing rapidly, with the number of devices having grown by 37% since December 2023, according to Zapmap. 

There are now more than 73,000 charge points across more than 30,000 charging locations in the UK, including on-street chargers, so-called destination charging (such as hotels, restaurants and retail parks) and motorway fuel stations. 

About 20% of charging devices are rapid (50-149kW) or ultra-rapid (150kW+) which can allow van drivers to quickly top up during their working day, provided their van is capable of fast charging.

Although this is the most expensive public charging option you need to consider the cost of charging versus the cost of downtime. 

You could give your drivers a network operator card, which provides discounted charging, usually for a monthly fee. 

Not all parking spaces have been designed with large electric vans in mind but this is changing. Providers such as BP Pulse and Gridserve are creating charging hubs which have multiple rapid or ultra-rapid chargers, parking bays which are suitable for vans and amenities for drivers while their vehicle is being charged.  

Future developments in EV charging 

Wireless charging, where a vehicle drives onto a charging pad rather than using a charging cable, is still in its infancy but a number of trials have taken place with fleet operators and is being given more consideration by vehicle manufacturers. 

There is also the possibility of fleet operators sharing their electric vehicle charging points with other businesses as the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) is currently developing an online platform to enable this.

Which is the best way to charge electric vans?

To decide the best charging option for your electric vans it’s worth starting with a driver survey to find out key information such as which drivers have off-road parking. 

If you use telematics in your petrol and diesel vehicles then you will have a wealth of data on the length of journeys drivers do each day and you can work out whether they have public charging options on route or they can make use of a workplace charger. 

The chances are you will need a mix of charging options - home, workplace and public - to meet all van drivers’ needs. 

Trial an electric van for free

If you’re still unsure about making the switch to electric, have you thought about trialing an electric van? 

Contact the team on marketing@reflexvehiclehire.com for further information.