How does commercial EV charging installation work, step by step?

Start with who will charge, their parking time and your available power. Then confirm the connection route, permissions, funding and operating responsibilities before ordering equipment. Eligible workplace projects can receive up to £500 per socket through the Workplace Charging Scheme [S3]. Survey, connection work and commissioning are separate stages; your programme depends on their scope. Checked October 2026.

Last checked 17 October 2026

What should you specify before asking for installation quotes?

Define users, vehicle types, arrival times, parking duration and energy required before choosing charger speed. Kilowatts (kW) measure power; kilowatt-hours (kWh) measure energy. Alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) describe the electrical supply delivered by the charger. Your specification should state both usable power and the required daily energy.

Record whether bays serve staff, fleet vehicles or paying visitors. Government guidance distinguishes exclusive staff or fleet charging from publicly accessible charging [S6]. Use the charger sizer and charging cost tool to explore scenarios. Ask for an initial phase and a separately priced expansion plan.

How do the survey, DNO application and G99 checks work?

Arrange a survey of the supply, distribution board, cable route, earthing, parking layout and proposed equipment. Your distribution network operator (DNO) manages the local electricity network. Establish available capacity and the connection or notification route before accepting an installation date [S4].

Read the DNO application guide and compare load management with a grid upgrade. Ask the designer to show how charging is constrained when other site loads rise, and what happens if the controller loses communications.

G99 is the engineering recommendation for connecting generation outside the smaller G98 route. Ordinary charger demand is different from generation; adding solar, exporting batteries or vehicle-to-grid equipment can introduce a generation assessment. Export limitation is handled through the relevant generation process [S5]. Follow the G99 application guide where relevant.

What does commercial charger installation cost?

These are indicative commercial cost bands from the cost research, not quotations [S1], [S2]. Grid connection is excluded from the rapid charger bands. Treat groundworks, cable runs and connection as extra scope for AC installations; ask exactly which local installation tasks each price includes.

Require quotes to state VAT treatment, payment terminals, protective barriers, accessibility works, metering, software, maintenance, network charges and reinstatement. Do not add overlapping infrastructure allowances twice. Compare commercial charger costs and rapid DC costs using the same site scope.

Which funding, grant and tax decisions come before ordering?

Fully funded means the investor pays, owns and operates while you provide space and receive an agreed share. Part funded shares capital and returns. Self funded means you buy the equipment and retain net income after costs. Put lease length, liability, parking rights, maintenance, business rates and exit terms in writing.

The Workplace Charging Scheme covers up to 75% of eligible costs, capped at £500 per socket and 40 sockets per applicant across sites. Published guidance gives an end date of 31 March 2027 [S3]. Check WCS eligibility and government charging schemes before ordering or starting work.

HMRC describes the qualifying chargepoint first-year allowance as 100%, extended to 31 March 2027 for Corporation Tax and 5 April 2027 for Income Tax [S7]. This is a deduction, not a cash grant. Check with your accountant, including VAT on business chargers. HMRC’s current position on electricity from public chargepoints remains standard-rated [S8].

A rapid-charger funding illustration

This is an illustration, not a quote. Assume one 50 kW charger costing £15,000–£45,000 plus a £40,000 supply upgrade: total £55,000–£85,000, midpoint £70,000 [S1], [S2]. All operating inputs below are assumptions. Prices and receipts exclude VAT; no grant or tax relief is deducted.

Mid sales = 5 × 365 × 20 × £0.60 = £21,900. Net = 36,500 × (£0.60 − £0.25) − £1,500 = £11,275. Simple return on investment (ROI) = annual net ÷ host capital × 100; payback = host capital ÷ annual net.

Mid fully funded income = £21,900 × 20%; part funded net = £11,275 × 70% on £35,000 host capital. Self funded mid-use payback across total capital is 4.9–7.5 years, with ROI of 13.3–20.5%. Payment fees, insurance, rates, downtime, finance and replacement costs would reduce returns; obtain those costs before relying on the income and payback tool.

How long does installation take, and who controls each stage?

Use the following as a project-planning outline, not an agreed completion programme. The commercial timing source describes survey/design at 1–2 weeks, civils at 1–3 weeks and final commissioning over a few days [S2]. Network works, permissions and equipment availability can change the overall sequence [S4].

Use the installer selection guide to assign design, applications, civils and commissioning responsibilities. Confirm landlord and planning requirements before works; take property terms to your solicitor. Reserve accessible routes and agree temporary bay closures and reopening.

What must be tested before chargers open?

Request electrical certification, as-built drawings, isolation instructions and a witnessed charging session. Test simultaneous charging and load controls. For paid public charging, confirm price display, applicable contactless payment, support and data duties against the government guidance and regulations [S6], [S9]. Use the public charging checklist for the operating scope.

Specify Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP), the communication protocol between chargers and management software, and request a demonstrated software connection and data export. Record administrator ownership, fault response, payment settlement and the process for switching service arrangements before accepting handover.

What should you do next?

Browse the guide hub and prepare a site plan, meter information and a user-demand brief for the site check. Then get matched with an installer that covers your area.

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