EV FAQs

There are two types of grants available to businesses. Both for the installation of charging points and infrastructure:

1. The EV Infrastructure grant for staff and fleets is available to small and medium-sized businesses. This grant helps out with costs related to building and installation work needed to install multiple chargepoint sockets, such as wiring and posts.

The grant covers 75% of the cost of the work, up to a maximum of £15,000. You can get:

• Up to £350 per chargepoint socket installed
• Up to £500 per parking space enabled with supporting infrastructure

You can receive up to 5 grants across 5 different sites.

2. The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) is a voucher-based scheme run by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV). It is available to businesses, charities, and public sector organisations that meet the eligibility criteria.

This scheme provides support towards upfront costs of the buying and installation of EV chargepoints and can be used at the same time as the EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets. (Both grants can be used for the same site, but never the same chargepoints)

The workplace charging scheme cover of up to 75% of the total costs of purchasing and installation of chargepoints. You can get:

• Up to £350 per socket
• Up to 40 sockets across all sites per applicant

In terms of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, electric cars require more energy to manufacture so on average have higher embedded GHG emissions than a petrol or diesel car. However even when using UK grid electricity to recharge the car this is more than offset during the car’s use.

Over an average car’s life an electric car will usually be responsible for around 30% – 50% less GHG emissions than an equivalent petrol or diesel car when manufacture, use and disposal is considered. Using renewable electricity to recharge reduces this further.

Transport & Environment (T&E) have put together this tool that allows you to compare how much CO₂ an EV can save compared to a diesel or petrol car over its lifetime.

The electricity used to charge electric vehicles ultimately comes from a range of sources within the grid, some of which use fossil fuels. However, in a country such as the UK with a mixed energy grid, electric vehicles are much cleaner than their petrol or diesel counterparts.

Renewables’ share of electricity generation is growing all the time, and some energy suppliers offer 100% renewable tariffs.

As the grid decarbonises with the increased use of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, an electric vehicle’s emissions will continue to reduce over time.

Smart charging means charging the car during off peak periods when electricity demand is lower, and means that drivers can benefit from cheaper electricity and avoids triggering unnecessary additional investment in the electricity network.