Battery-electric commercial vehicles
The fleet includes, or will include, at least one battery-electric van, HGV or coach, and the application quantifies the effect on charging needs.
Depot Charging Scheme · UK 2026
Next window expected 28 October 2026 — grant rate still to be confirmed.
The Depot Charging Scheme is one of the UK's highest-value EV infrastructure programmes for commercial fleets. It targets battery-electric vans, HGVs and coaches — but the next funding window is not open yet, and operators should not assume the previous 70% grant rate will continue.
Official scheme status checked: 1 September 2026
Programme scale
A £170 million multi-year depot charging programme through 2030.
The current programme follows the 2025/26 pilot and is intended to reduce the infrastructure barrier to battery-electric commercial vehicles.
Multi-year programme£170mfrom April 2026 up to 2030
Window 1£28m2026/27 funding
Window 2£38mplanned for 2027/28
Two 2026 windows£66mcombined planned funding
What happened in window 1?
The first 2026/27 window funded 70% — but that is historical, not a promise for window 2.
Window 1 ran from 25 March to 30 June 2026. It funded 70% of chargepoint and civil costs incurred, up to £1 million across all sites.
There was no limit to the number of sites included, but only one application was permitted per organisation. Projects have until 31 March 2027 to complete their works.
Government guidance explicitly says grant funding rates will reduce over the lifetime of the programme as charging infrastructure becomes more affordable.
Current published eligibility
The scheme is built around real commercial fleet operations.
The following points are in the current published scheme listing. Because window 2 terms are still to be confirmed, treat them as the best preparation guide rather than a guarantee that every detail will remain unchanged.
UK operating history
The organisation and vehicle fleet have operated in the UK for at least one year at the time of application.
UK depot
The organisation owns or leases one or more UK depots and uses the funding only within the UK.
Senior approval
A senior leader in the organisation has approved the proposal.
Commercial vehicle priority
The primary users of funded charging infrastructure are commercial vehicles.
Monitoring & audit
The applicant agrees to monitoring and evaluation activity, including possible physical site audits and visits.
Shared depot charging
Shared infrastructure is possible — but the pricing model matters.
Current published eligibility allows funded infrastructure to be shared with other fleet operators. Where it is shared, the pricing model must be based on cost recovery for at least three years after the grant is awarded.
The scheme also requires the primary users of the funded infrastructure to be commercial vehicles.
Prepare before the window opens
The strongest applications should already understand the vehicles, energy and grid connection.
Window 1 applications were assessed first-come-first-served. We do not yet know whether every process detail will be identical for window 2, but operators can still remove major unknowns now.
Define the fleet transition
Vehicles, duty cycles, battery sizes, daily mileage and expected electric vehicle deployment dates.
Calculate depot energy
Estimate kWh required per vehicle and the available charging window before the next departure.
Design the charger mix
Choose AC/DC power from operational need rather than simply specifying the fastest available hardware.
Assess grid capacity
Confirm site import capacity, maximum demand, major existing loads and whether a DNO application is likely.
Price civils & connection work
Map cable routes, trenching, switchgear, transformer requirements and any phased infrastructure.
Build the evidence pack
Prepare senior approval, depot details, vehicle plan and project evidence so the team can react quickly when final terms are published.
Expected next-window timeline
What is currently published for window 2.
Scheme not currently open. Final window 2 terms have not been published.
Next application window is currently expected to open.
Current published expected closing date for applications.
Window 2 projects are expected to start from April 2027.
Current expected deadline for window 2 project delivery.
When can spending start?
Window 1 only treated expenditure as eligible after the Grant Funding Agreement was signed.
That makes timing commercially important. Operators should distinguish between preparation work and expenditure they expect a future grant to fund.
Current published eligibility also requires applicants not to apply for or obtain similar government funding for the same funded activities.
Window 2's detailed eligible-cost rules are still TBC. Do not place orders solely on the assumption that previous-window costs or timing rules will be identical.
Depot project cost
Build the infrastructure budget without assuming a grant percentage.
Until window 2 terms are published, the cleanest business case shows the full project budget first and treats grant support as a separate scenario.
Our current depot cost model covers AC and DC chargers, cable routes, groundworks, supply risk, load management and access requirements — but it intentionally does not apply a Depot Charging Scheme grant.
Vehicle + infrastructure incentives
Depot funding is designed to work alongside zero-emission vehicle grants.
The government's stated programme design links depot infrastructure support with existing incentives for electric vans and HGVs.
Build one implementation plan covering vehicle orders, charging equipment, DNO work and the depot grant timetable. A charger installed too early or a vehicle delivered before the depot can support it can create avoidable operational cost.
Depot Charging Scheme FAQ
What we know — and what is still TBC.
When does the next Depot Charging Scheme window open?
The next application window is currently expected to open on 28 October 2026 and close on 29 January 2027. GOV.UK says further information will be published in due course.
Will the next window fund 70% of depot charger costs?
That has not been confirmed. The 70% rate applied to the first 2026/27 window. Current government guidance explicitly says the terms and grant rates for the next phase are still to be confirmed.
How much funding is planned for window 2?
£38 million is currently planned for the 2027/28 window, part of a £170 million multi-year programme running from April 2026 up to 2030.
Who can currently qualify?
The published eligibility includes UK operators whose fleet includes or will include at least one battery-electric van, HGV or coach, with at least one year of UK organisation and fleet operation, and ownership or lease of one or more UK depots. Final window 2 rules should be checked when published.
Can an application cover multiple depots?
Window 1 allowed any number of sites in one application but limited each organisation to one application. Do not assume the exact same rule will apply to window 2 until the new terms are released.
Can depot charging be shared with another fleet?
Under the current published eligibility, yes. Where infrastructure is shared with other fleet operators, the pricing model must be based on cost recovery for at least three years after the grant is awarded.
Can I start buying chargers now and claim later?
Do not assume so. Under window 1, expenditure was only eligible if carried out after the Grant Funding Agreement had been signed. Window 2 cost and timing rules remain to be confirmed.
Official source & methodology
We separate confirmed window 2 information from window 1 history.
The current GOV.UK Find a Grant listing is the primary source. Where this page discusses the 70% rate, £1 million cap, first-come-first-served assessment or agreement-before-spend rule, it explicitly treats those as first-window terms rather than confirmed next-window rules.
- GOV.UK Find a Grant — Depot Charging SchemeCurrent scheme status, £170m programme, £38m planned window 2 funding, expected dates, published eligibility, first-window grant terms and current application status.
- Department for Transport — Commercial vehicle funding announcementWider government package supporting zero-emission vans, trucks and depot infrastructure.
- GOV.UK — Connecting EV chargepoints to the electricity networkNetwork connection planning relevant to higher-power depot projects.
Current-status warning: The next Depot Charging Scheme window is not open. Grant rate and detailed window 2 terms are still to be confirmed. Verify GOV.UK before committing expenditure or relying on grant support in a board-approved business case.
Prepare the depot project
Get the energy, grid and cost assumptions ready before October.
Use the fleet/depot guide to build the operational requirement and the cost calculator to create an ungranted infrastructure budget.