Intro
The Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure in the UK is regulated by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV). OLEV provides grants for electric vehicle charging point installation, and electric vehicle charging points must be compliant with the OLEV standards. The Electric Vehicle charging point infrastructure is made up of electric vehicle charging points installed on residential roads, public spaces, commercial premises and workplaces. There are over 25,000 electric vehicle charging points in the UK, and this number is growing rapidly as more people switch to electric vehicles.
Overview
Electric Vehicle charging points are generally referred to as either rapid chargers or fast chargers. Rapid chargers provide a higher charge rate and can charge an electric vehicle in around 30 minutes, while fast chargers can take up to 3-4 hours longer to charge an electric vehicle. Most of the UK’s electric vehicle charging points are located in London, with over 4,000 electric vehicle charging points in the city. The Electric Vehicle charging point infrastructure is also growing quickly in other major cities such as Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow.
Electric Vehicle charging points can be either hardwired or plugged into a standard socket. Hardwired electric vehicle charging points are more expensive to install, but they are faster and more reliable. Pluggable electric vehicle charging points are less expensive to install, but they are slower and less reliable. Electric vehicle charging points can be used by both electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. To use an electric vehicle charging point, you will need a charge-point card or fob which allows you to activate the charge point. You can also use a smartphone app to activate and pay for electric vehicle charging.
The Electric Vehicle charging point infrastructure is still in its early stages, and there is an urgent need for improvement. In particular, the number of public electric vehicle charging points needs to increase in order to meet the growing demand from electric vehicle owners. Naturally, the Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure is an important part of the transition to electric vehicles, and the UK is making some progress in this area.
Commercial EV Charging
There are numerous incentives and benefits of installing EV charging points if you own a commercial premises, workplace, fleet vehicle business or apartment block development.
For commercial premises owners, providing Electric Vehicle charging points to the public is almost guaranteed to increase footfall to your commercial premises, as the demand for EV charging points currently far outweighs the provision of them. As more and more individuals switch to Electric Vehicles, it is expected that large commercial premises and public spaces will provide the facilities for people to charge their vehicles while they’re not in use. Moreover, installing EV charging points can help you to demonstrate that your business cares about the environment, which may help you to win new eco-conscious customers.
By 2030, commercial businesses that operate with a fleet of vehicles will have to switch their fleet of cars or vans from petrol and diesel to Electric Vehicles. Whilst the transition can be time consuming and costly, the potential long-term savings from switching to an electric fleet are enormous.
If you own or manage a commercial workplace, it’s likely that many of your employees in the near future will need the provision of EV charging points onsite. You can get ahead of the game now by investing in your workplace EV charging point infrastructure, impressing your workforce and relieving any potential future pressures on the business that may arise.
The potential financial gains from installing EV charging points could be hugely beneficial for your commercial business. By using charger management software, you can generate revenue from your EV charging points by opening them up to the public and charging variable tariffs. For example, you could designate your chargers to be private from 9am-5pm for your employees and then open them up to the public from 5pm-9am, generating revenue for your company whilst your workforce are away.
Comments