Business EV charging in the East Midlands: demand and funding

The East Midlands council dataset totals 6,153 public chargers [S1]. Your own business case depends on who parks, how long they stay and whether your supply can support charging. Distinguish workplace demand from public visitor sales, and compare fully funded income with the investment and payback under part funded or self funded proposals. Checked October 2026.

Last checked 16 October 2026

How much EV charging does the East Midlands have?

Summing the council records gives 6,153 public chargers, including 2,367 rapid-or-above chargers, at 1 July 2026 [S1]. The vehicle rows total 188,893 licensed plug-in vehicles at the end of Q2 2026 [S2]. These snapshots describe regional provision and registrations; they do not forecast sales at your premises.

The included council areas are Amber Valley, Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Blaby, Bolsover, Boston, Broxtowe, Charnwood, Chesterfield, Derby, Derbyshire Dales, East Lindsey, Erewash, Gedling, Harborough, High Peak, Hinckley and Bosworth, Leicester, Lincoln, Mansfield, Melton, Newark and Sherwood, North East Derbyshire, North Kesteven, North Northamptonshire, North West Leicestershire, Nottingham, Oadby and Wigston, Rushcliffe, Rutland, South Derbyshire, South Holland, South Kesteven, West Lindsey and West Northamptonshire [S1], [S2]. North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire are outside this footprint.

Where could business charging meet a useful local need?

VisitEngland identifies local visitor partnerships for the Peak District, Derbyshire and Derby, Leicester and Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire [S9]. A visitor business can use its destination organisation to understand the market; it still needs its own evidence of parking and charging demand.

For a Derbyshire visitor attraction, compare busy-day stays with quiet-season opening. For a Lincolnshire accommodation business, record guest arrival times and overnight parking availability. For a Northamptonshire trade premises or depot, start with vehicle routes, return times and electricity demand. These are possible survey briefs, not claims about charger shortages.

Separate customer charging, staff charging and fleet needs before estimating sales. An employee parked all day and a delivery vehicle awaiting dispatch have different departure requirements. Use fleets and depots and visitor attractions to prepare separate equipment schedules.

Which DNO should assess your charger installation?

National Grid Electricity Distribution operates the Midlands distribution network and provides an area finder [S6]. SP Electricity North West also serves parts of Derbyshire [S7]. Do not assume a regional postcode heading identifies the network at your premises.

DNO means distribution network operator, responsible for local electricity cables and substations. Northern Powergrid’s territory includes northern Lincolnshire [S10]; that network description is not the same as the statistical region used above. Confirm the operator for the individual supply address.

Ask your surveyor to measure building demand and compare it with the proposed charging schedule. Request alternatives using existing capacity and managed charging before accepting an upgrade proposal. Prepare bills, supply details and an equipment list using the DNO application guide.

For solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and batteries, ask the designer to model generation, building use and vehicle charging on the same timeline. Include roof condition and shading in the survey. Do not count a battery as new generation: ask how charging losses and later replacement affect the proposal.

What EV charging funding should an East Midlands business check?

Nottinghamshire’s LEVI project targets residential areas where people lack home charging facilities [S8]. It is a council-led public infrastructure project, not a private-site grant award. For other councils, obtain their own current programme details rather than borrowing Nottinghamshire’s terms.

WCS funding runs through 31 March 2027 [S3]. Assess your eligibility using the workplace grant guide. No local solar or battery grant is assumed in the calculation below. Qualifying company chargepoints have a 100% first-year allowance through March 2027 [S5]. Check with your accountant.

What could charging earn, and when would it pay back?

Use your own demand evidence in the income and payback tool. The following is an illustration, not a quote. All inputs are assumptions, not regional market averages. kW means kilowatts, the charging power; kWh means kilowatt-hours, the energy sold.

Assume 365 trading days and available equipment throughout. Annual energy is sessions × 12 × 365. Sales equal energy × £0.50. Operating surplus equals energy × (£0.50 − £0.25) − £300.

Fully funded means the provider pays, installs, owns and operates; here it pays all operating costs and the host receives sales × 10%, with no capital payback calculation. Part funded shares capital and surplus. Self funded means you buy the equipment and retain the surplus.

For example, mid-use self funded income is 8,760 × £0.25 − £300 = £1,890. Simple return on investment (ROI) is income ÷ host capital × 100; payback is capital ÷ income. For part funded, halve the surplus first. Ranges reflect the capital range; rounding is to one decimal place. These are pre-tax cash illustrations: VAT, grants, finance, payment fees, losses, rates, insurance, downtime and replacement costs are excluded. Add them before deciding, and check tax treatment with your accountant.

How should you handle free charging and overnight parking?

Free charging still needs an operating budget. In the illustration, removing the driver price removes sales while leaving energy and service costs. If charging is a guest amenity, record that expense separately from any unproven effect on room bookings.

State whether a guest must move after charging finishes and whether parking carries its own fee. Public charging rules can include customer car parks and restricted opening hours [S4]. Have your solicitor check which duties apply and who carries them.

Ask for a layout showing deliveries, accessible walking routes and displaced parking. Before signing, review landlord consent, planning responsibility, maintenance, insurance, rates, contract length and exit terms with the appropriate advisers. Request written responsibility for removal and reinstatement if the project ends.

What should you do next?

Gather your postcode, supply details, parking layout and actual customer or fleet requirements. Compare offers using the income and payback tool, then get matched with an installer that covers your area.

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