Workplace EV Charging: A Complete Guide for UK Employers

Workplace EV charging is transitioning from a competitive differentiator to a mainstream staff expectation. As more employees switch to electric vehicles, the ability to charge at work — particularly where home charging is not practical — is increasingly cited in recruitment and retention conversations. For employers, the Workplace Charging Scheme grant still available in 2026 makes installation significantly more affordable. This guide covers everything UK employers need to know.

The Workplace Charging Scheme Grant

The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) Workplace Charging Scheme provides eligible employers with a grant of up to £350 per socket, with a maximum of 40 sockets per applicant. For a business installing 10 double-socket chargers (20 sockets), the grant contribution is £7,000 — a meaningful reduction in the total installation cost. To qualify, the business must be a UK registered company or charity, must have dedicated off-street parking available, and the installation must be carried out by an OZEV-authorised installer. Premier Electrical Renewables is OZEV-authorised and manages grant applications on behalf of our commercial customers.

How Many Chargers Does a Business Need?

The right number of workplace chargers depends on how many EV-driving employees use the car park, the average time employees spend on site, and the rate of EV adoption you want to plan for. A useful starting point is to install chargers for 10-20% of total parking spaces initially, with infrastructure (dedicated circuits, earthing, and panel capacity) sized for future expansion to 50% or more without requiring rewiring. This phased approach avoids over-specifying on day one while preventing the need for costly infrastructure upgrades later.

Charger Types for Workplaces

Most workplace installations use 7kW Type 2 AC chargers. These are sufficient for employees who park for a full working day — 8 hours at 7kW provides up to 56kWh, which exceeds the battery capacity of most current EVs. For sites with high turnover — retail car parks or customer parking — faster 22kW units may be preferable to charge more vehicles per space per day. For lorry depots and fleet operators, DC rapid chargers in the 50-150kW range are needed for minimum dwell time charging.

Smart workplace chargers with access control (RFID cards or app authentication) are strongly recommended. Access control allows employers to track usage, manage costs, and restrict charger access to authorised users. Many systems also enable cost recovery from employees who charge personal vehicles using company electricity — a common request from finance teams.

Load Management at Scale

A workplace with 20 chargers running simultaneously at 7kW each would draw 140kW — an enormous demand spike that most commercial supplies cannot support without expensive reinforcement. Dynamic load management systems solve this by distributing available capacity across all active chargers, ensuring total demand stays within the site's supply limit. When a charger finishes a session and another vehicle starts, capacity is automatically reallocated. This allows significantly more chargers to be installed than the raw supply capacity would suggest, as not all chargers operate simultaneously at full power.

Integrating Workplace Charging with Solar and Battery

Commercial solar paired with workplace EV charging is particularly effective. Large roof areas on warehouses and office buildings can accommodate 50-200kW of solar capacity, generating daytime electricity that charges employee vehicles directly. Battery storage can extend this benefit into early morning and evening sessions. This combination can supply 50-80% of total workplace EV charging from on-site renewable generation, reducing operating costs and supporting corporate sustainability commitments. We design integrated commercial solar, battery, and EV charging systems across Yorkshire — contact us for a free commercial site survey.