What you need to know about electric car charging for business owners

The rollout of electric car charging for business

Electric vehicles are common on our roads. It’s not just cars. The spread of electric vans for work is on the rise, too. As a result, there is a lot to know about electric car charging for business owners.

For example, over 16% of the new car market in 2023 was made up of electric vehicles. There are now over 1.2 million plug-in electric vehicles on the UK roads – with three quarters being fully electric.

That means there are now competitive choices for your trade business car or van. Looking to replace a car or add to your fleet? You’ll need to consider the benefits of electric, petrol or diesel.

When weighing up these options, you might also want to think about the business expenses associated with running a van or car.

A van or car is a type of capital expenditure that offers tax allowances. Also, there are tax considerations. You can also claim depreciation costs on business assets like vehicles to reduce your tax bill. That goes for newer electric vehicles too.

Are you considering electric car charging stations for your business? That will be an expense to consider, but could be funded by grants.

Business grants for electric vehicle charging points

With so many different trades now looking at electric vehicles, the question to ask is “do I also want electric car charging for my business”?

Of course, cost plays a major part in your decision-making. The good news on this front is that there are a broad range of government grants for small and medium-sized businesses.

These include money that can be saved off setting up electric vehicle charging infrastructure. There are grants that cover:

• Multiple charging sockets
• Wiring
• Electric vehicle charging points

They must be installed by an OZEV-approved installer who is authorised by the government’s Office for Zero Emissions. As an electrician, you could even have trained for this new area.

How much can be claimed?

The grant is for 75% of the cost of the work up to a maximum of £15,000. The details are:

• Up to £350 for each charging point socket you install
• Up to £500 for each parking space you sent up with the supporting
• Setting up at least five parking spaces
• The charging points must be in place for at least three years, so you can’t take them with you if you move premises within that period
• Up to five grants spread across five different sites (a total of £15,000 x 5 = maximum of £75,000 can be claimed)

You can check if your trade business is eligible for an EV infrastructure grant:

• Do you have 249 or fewer employees?
• Is your business registered as a limited company at Companies House or VAT-registered with HMRC?

Make sure to check your eligibility and have a clear plan in place. If you are looking to provide electric car charging for your employees, you need to do it well. And if you can get a grant to offset that cost, it will also help with your cash flow.

What are the rules and regulations?

The government sets regulations for electric vehicle charging points.

The rules are designed to:

• Make sure charging points have smart functionality to send and receive information
• Encourage charging when demand for power on the national gird is low or more renewable energy is available
• Ensure safe installation and use that doesn’t put people at risk
• Measure how much electricity is taken
• Provide adequate cybersecurity protection so data can’t be hacked or chargers misused

Electric vehicle charging points should also:

• Meet the Institution of Engineering and Technology installation Code of Practice
• Be an approved model
• Meet fire regulations

Obviously there is a lot to get familiar with, so a certified training course is the best place to start, like those offered by our partner Logic4Training.

Choose your rules for your chargers

You might install electric charging points for your trade business vehicles but then find they aren’t used all the time. If that is the case, you can have a think about your own rules about how they are used.

• How about your employees using them if they drive to work?
• What about customers who may visit your business
• Are there other trade businesses who use the same facilities as you?
• Do you have business partners that you may need to meet?

You could improve customer satisfaction by letting electric vehicle-driving customers use your chargers when they visit. Especially if your showroom or business location is out of the way.

It is a good idea to have a business policy for this. And one that can be displayed easily and clearly. Having an electric car charging option for your business could create a win:win situation for you, your staff and customers.

Best battery charger for cars and vans

First, decide on the best electric vehicle for your work. As a tradesperson, you know best which tools and equipment you need with you for certain jobs and tasks. It may be that your business has use of both.

Once you have the vehicle, you’ll need to review options on the best car battery chargers or the best battery charger for vans.

You’ll find a wide choice of electric car charging for business. Here are some things to consider:

• The market is becoming more established
• Think ahead when deciding
• Select a battery charger that will meet your needs today – and in the future
• You may want to consider battery charging units as well as charging stations

With choice comes greater price competition. So, do your research and shop around for the best one for your business.

What are popular car charging options?

You can often find comparisons online which look at the differences and choices. There have been handy guides put together by both EV Magazine and Auto Express that look at the most popular and most efficient charging methods.

Broadly speaking, some of the best car battery charger and best battery charger for vans include:

• BP Pulse
• ChargePoint
• EVgo
• EV Power
• Gridserve
• InstaVolt
• Pod Point
• Tesla
• Wallbox

Obviously there are different options for different vehicles, so if you’re considering electric car charging for business vehicles, make sure you know the specifications. You don’t want to invest in new technology and then find it isn’t compatible.

Choosing your charging speed

You’ll also need to decide on the speed you want for the electric car charging provision for your business.

There are currently three main types of electric car charging stations for business:

• Standard or slow – usually used in homes
• Fast – more common for businesses
• Rapid – usually where demand is very high, like at motorway service stations

Many options and technical specifications can sometimes prove to be overwhelming. If you are sourcing electric car charging stations for your business, you’ll need to check with the manufacturers that your vehicles will work.

Choosing the best trickle chargers

Not everyone relies on an electric car charging station for business.

One alternative is to carry out the electric car charging for your business by plugging into the usual mains electricity supply. This is called trickle charging and can be quite slow. However, it does save on the cost of installing an electric car charging station. You simply plug in with a three-pin plug to your mains supply.

Trickle charges also recharge ordinary petrol or diesel car batteries. As with charging points, finding the best trickle chargers for your business requires a bit of homework.

Make sure to consider the following factors when looking at trickle charging:

• Will there be an overall cost difference?
• What are the potential trip hazards?
• Where is your business located?
• Could charging happen overnight?

When you’re looking for the best trickle chargers, it could be that the option you actually end up with is a charging station after all.

Upskilling electricians to electric car charging for business

As demand for electric vehicles grows, so does the need for skilled electricians to install charging points. It could even be a lucrative business to get into as an installer or business owner.

Here are some facts to consider:

• The government needs more OZEV-approved installers to meet targets
• Upskilling as an electrician widens your business reach
• Specialist skills are often more sought after
• Checkatrade members can save on training costs with our partners Logic4Training

The electric car charging market is expanding all the time. With this new industry continuing to grow, your investment in training now could pay dividends for years to come.

How could your electrical business benefit from joining Checkatrade?

Finding new opportunities in this field could be easier if you join Checkatrade.

Fixed membership from Checkatrade means you can expect a certain number of leads throughout the year.

There is already customer demand in this area. For example, in 2024, there were around 77,000 searches for electric vehicle charger installation jobs*, so why would you want to miss out?

There are lots of other benefits to a membership with us. They include:

• Dedicated membership advice team
• Work guarantee up to £1,000 (T&Cs apply)
• Exclusive offers and discounts
• Up to 20% off Public Liability Insurance
• Reduced cost of workwear and branding
• Use of our dedicated trades app for a range of business uses
• Savings on other business essentials such as vans, fuel and materials

Key takeaways

• Grants are available for SME businesses to install electric car charging points
• As demand for electric vehicles grows, so do opportunities for electricians
• Rules govern how electric charging points are installed
• Electric car charging should be safe, reduce cybersecurity risks and provide accurate usage information
• Choose the best battery charger by deciding on the speed of charging that you want
• Many different electric car charging stations are available, so do your research
• The right option will be the one which best suits your business

* Internal data sourced from users of the checkatrade.com website in calendar year 2024