Overnight AC or moderate DC can cover many routes.
Where vans return for a long overnight window, lower-power chargers can often recover the day's energy without requiring every bay to have rapid charging.
Model: route miles + overnight windowFleet & depot EV charging · UK 2026
Design depot charging around the duty cycle — not maximum charger speed.
For an electric van, HGV or coach fleet, charging is operational infrastructure. The right system delivers enough energy before the next departure while controlling connection cost, peak demand and future expansion.
Scheme and network guidance checked: 31 August 2026
Depot sizing
Convert routes into kilowatt-hours before choosing chargers.
The planning question is not “How many 150 kW chargers can we fit?” It is “How much energy must each vehicle recover, and how long is it actually parked?”
Planning model
Vehicles × daily miles × kWh per mile = fleet energy to recover
For real projects, use telematics or route records rather than a generic efficiency number. Add seasonal and operational headroom, charging losses, maintenance downtime and vehicles returning later than planned.
Different fleets, different charging strategies
Van, HGV and coach depots should not use the same template.
Battery size matters, but operational dwell time is often the more important design input. A vehicle parked overnight can use a very different charging strategy from one returning between shifts.
Energy requirement and dwell windows can be much larger.
Heavy vehicles can push depot load into hundreds of kilowatts or megawatts. Connection strategy and smart charging need to be considered alongside vehicle procurement.
Model: duty cycles + connection capacityTimetables can create predictable charging opportunities.
Regular overnight or layover periods can be valuable, but seasonal operations and intensive service days need enough reserve capacity to avoid operational disruption.
Model: timetable + resilienceCharger power strategy
The cheapest kilowatt is often the one you do not have to connect.
Government connection guidance specifically notes that fleets charging overnight may not need rapid chargers. Lower-power charging can reduce equipment and connection costs when the dwell window is long enough.
22 kW ACLong dwell
Useful for lighter commercial vehicles where AC capability permits.
Lower infrastructure demand can make multi-vehicle overnight charging easier to accommodate, but check each vehicle's onboard AC charging limit.
50–100 kW DCMedium dwell
A practical middle ground for faster turnaround.
Useful where vehicles need meaningful energy in a few hours rather than a full overnight window. Connection and civil costs become more important.
150 kW+ DCShort dwell / heavy duty
Powerful operational tool — and a major infrastructure decision.
High-power DC can support intensive fleets, but aggregate load, transformers, switchgear, cables and DNO delivery can dominate the project.
Design principle:
Use the lowest charging power that reliably meets the next departure requirement, then add enough redundancy and flexibility for operational peaks.
Smart charging
A 600 kW nameplate depot does not have to draw 600 kW all night.
Smart charging can sequence and throttle vehicle charging around departure times, site load and electricity prices. This can reduce coincident peak demand and may help a fleet use its connection more efficiently.
It does not create extra network capacity. If every vehicle genuinely needs high power at the same time, the connection still has to support that operational requirement.
Indicative depot budgets
Fleet charging costs can move from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands quickly.
These examples use the same V2 cost engine as our commercial calculator. They are planning ranges, not quotations, and they exclude Depot Charging Scheme support.
£23,900–£58,000 ex VAT
Medium cable routes, light civils, load management, RFID and electrical capacity not yet confirmed.
220 kW nameplate load£100,300–£219,100 ex VAT
Medium cable routes, heavy civils, load management and major connection work assumed.
200 kW nameplate load£215,500–£460,700 ex VAT
Long routes, heavy civils, smart charging and major electrical connection work assumed.
600 kW nameplate load
Why depot ranges are wide.
At higher power, the uncertainty moves away from charger hardware and toward site infrastructure: cable routes, substations, switchgear, civil engineering, connection assets and project phasing.
Grid connection
Start the network conversation early.
GOV.UK specifically recommends that workplaces and depots installing multiple chargepoints discuss the project with the network operator at an early stage.
1
Define required connectionCharger strategy, diversified peak load and growth plan.
2
Submit DNO applicationThe application identifies connection size, location and project requirements.
3
Receive connection quoteOfficial guidance says 5–65 working days depending on size.
4
Accept and deliverSmall connections may take weeks; very large projects can take many months or sometimes years.
Depot Charging Scheme
The next funding window is expected on 28 October 2026.
The scheme supports battery-electric vans, HGVs and coaches by part-funding charging infrastructure at UK fleet depots. The first 2026/27 window has closed.
Window 1
Closed 30 June 2026
70% of chargepoint and civil costs; up to £1 million across all sites.
Window 2
Expected 28 October 2026
Expected to close 29 January 2027. Grant rate and detailed terms still to be confirmed.
Expected project periodApril 2027 → 31 March 2028
Programme£170mApril 2026 to 2030
Window 1£28m2026/27
Window 2£38mplanned for 2027/28
Applications1per organisation in window 1; multiple sites permitted
Vehicles and infrastructure
Vehicle grants and depot grants solve different parts of the problem.
The Depot Charging Scheme supports infrastructure. Separate Zero Emission Van and Truck grants reduce the purchase price of eligible vehicles.
Current GOV.UK guidance says eligible small vans can receive up to £2,500 and eligible large vans up to £5,000. Truck support varies by vehicle category and the vehicle grant is applied through the seller rather than claimed by the fleet operator separately.
Vehicle eligibility lists and grant values can change. Confirm the specific model before building a fleet business case around the grant.
Installer / consultant brief
A depot quote should start with operational data.
For high-value fleet projects, “we need six rapid chargers” is not a sufficient brief. Give the project team enough information to model energy, timing, power and resilience.
✓
Fleet schedule — vehicles, routes, mileage, return times and departure deadlines.
✓
Vehicle data — battery capacity, charging curve and AC/DC limits for intended models.
✓
Site electrical data — import capacity, maximum demand, existing transformers and major loads.
✓
Physical layout — parking bays, vehicle manoeuvring, charger protection and cable routes.
✓
Operational resilience — spare charger capacity, fallback charging and maintenance response.
✓
Expansion plan — phase 1 vehicles and the likely full electric fleet.
Fleet & depot charging FAQ
Questions to answer before committing capital.
How do you size EV charging for a fleet depot?
Start with each vehicle's energy requirement and dwell window. Model daily route energy, return/departure times, charger compatibility, simultaneous charging and site capacity. Only then choose charger quantities and power.
Does every electric fleet vehicle need its own charger?
Not necessarily. If vehicles have staggered schedules or can rotate through charging positions, a smaller number of higher-utilisation chargers may work. Conversely, overnight fleets may favour more lower-power connections for operational simplicity. The correct answer depends on the duty cycle.
Do depots need rapid DC chargers?
No. GOV.UK connection guidance notes that overnight fleets may not need rapid chargers and that slower or fast charging can be more cost-effective if it meets the operating requirement. Rapid DC is valuable when the dwell window is too short for lower-power charging.
How long can a new depot electricity connection take?
Official guidance says a DNO can take 5–65 working days to issue a connection quote depending on size. After acceptance, smaller connections may be delivered in weeks, while very large connections can take many months or sometimes years.
What does the Depot Charging Scheme fund?
The first 2026/27 window funded 70% of chargepoint and civil costs incurred, up to £1 million across all sites. The next window is expected to open on 28 October 2026, but its rate and terms have not yet been confirmed.
Can an operator apply for more than one depot?
Under the first window, there was no limit to the number of sites included, but the scheme was limited to one application per organisation. Future-window rules should be checked when the next terms are published.
Sources & methodology
Primary-source scheme and network guidance.
Funding information comes from the current GOV.UK Find a Grant listing. Connection and smart-charging guidance comes from the government's EV chargepoint network-connection guidance. Project-cost examples use our V2 commercial cost model and are deliberately broad where major supply work is assumed.
- GOV.UK Find a Grant — Depot Charging SchemeProgramme size, first-window terms, current eligibility and expected next-window dates.
- GOV.UK — Connecting EV chargepoints to the electricity networkDepot connection planning, DNO quote times, connection charging and smart-charging options.
- GOV.UK — Zero emission vehicle grants: vansCurrent eligible van criteria and maximum small/large van discounts.
- Department for Transport — commercial vehicle funding announcementWider 2026 funding package for zero-emission vans, trucks and depot infrastructure.
Planning information, not engineering design: CommercialEVCharger.co.uk is independent and does not design electrical connections or install chargepoints. Fleet infrastructure should be designed from verified vehicle, route, site and network data.
Start the depot budget
Model charger quantity, power, civils and connection risk.
Use the commercial cost calculator for an early project range, then replace planning assumptions with a site survey and connection study.