Can EV charging work at your drive-thru?

Your drive-thru needs separate charging bays with a safe route to collect food, rather than plugs in a moving queue. Test demand from drivers willing to park before comparing fully funded, part funded and self funded rapid equipment. New public chargers rated at least 8 kW face contactless requirements for in-scope operators [S5]. Model connection costs and low use first. Checked October 2026.

Last checked 16 October 2026

Why add EV charging to a drive-thru?

First separate food collection from a charging stop. Someone who orders and leaves immediately is not the same prospect as a driver who parks, collects food and takes a break. Count drivers willing to use a separate charging area rather than converting every vehicle in the lane into a sale.

Test a five-minute collection visit and a twenty-five-minute parked break as planning assumptions. Replace them with observations at breakfast, lunch and evening peaks. If the venue opens overnight, check whether toilets, pedestrian access and support remain available then.

Government guidance recommends matching charging speed and connection size to requirements [S4]. Compare the café example and hospitality sector overview before selecting a service.

Which funding model suits drive-thru rapid charging?

fully funded charging depends on a provider accepting the location, rights, power and demand. Roadside visibility alone does not establish use. Confirm whether the offer pays for connection works, signage, payment equipment and the pedestrian route.

With part funded charging, identify what your capital buys and how operating costs affect your share. Self funded operation exposes more capital to quiet periods and repairs.

Ask your solicitor to review lease length, franchise or landlord consent, exclusivity, liability, insurance, business rates, relocation and exit. Keep responsibility for food service separate from responsibility for charging faults.

What does drive-thru charging cost and earn?

This is an illustration, not a quote. All commercial inputs below are assumptions, not market prices, measured demand or an available funding offer. Kilowatts (kW) measure power; kilowatt hours (kWh) measure energy.

The capital range is the published UK installer range for one installed 150 kW DC charger, £45,000–£80,000, checked on 17 October 2026 [S10]. It is the nearest published band for a 120 kW shared unit and excludes the grid connection, where a main supply upgrade of £40,000–£150,000 applies if the existing supply is inadequate [S10].

Effective energy cost includes charging losses per kWh sold. All amounts exclude VAT consistently. Grants, tax relief, finance, insurance, business rates, payment fees, replacement and lost parking income are excluded. Deduct your applicable costs before treating an operating return as project profit. Funded operators are assumed to pay energy, software and maintenance; no electricity is supplied free by the host.

Redo the mid case: 360 × 6 × 25 = 54,000 kWh sold. Receipts = energy × £0.65. Operating net income = energy × (£0.65 − £0.28) − £6,000 = £13,980. fully funded host income = receipts × 8%. part funded host income = net income × 65%, against £18,000–£32,000 host capital.

Simple return on investment (ROI) = annual host net income ÷ host capital × 100. Payback years = host capital ÷ annual host net income. Ranges use capital endpoints, with outputs rounded. Losses have no operating payback; long paybacks may exceed equipment life or your lease. The revenue-share guide explains what to put in the contract.

The low case barely covers the modelled operating costs and produces a very long payback. Treat that result as a reason to test demand, not an equipment-lifetime forecast. Include additional connection works and project costs before using the illustration to make a capital decision.

Direct current (DC) equipment in this scenario shares a total power limit. Do not model the full unit rating at both bays simultaneously. At an assumed average 60 kW, delivering 25 kWh takes 25 minutes before connection time; that is arithmetic, not a promised charging time.

Food sales are excluded. Only add observed incremental food gross margin after accounting for any displaced customers, staffing and associated costs.

How should charging bays fit around the drive-thru queue?

Draw the longest observed ordering queue, delivery routes, refuse collection and the path from charger to food collection. Keep the charging entrance and exit usable when the lane is full. Avoid a design requiring a pedestrian to cross between cars edging towards the service window.

HSE recommends managing site layout, vehicle movements and pedestrian separation [S7]. Use that assessment to locate a waiting area for charging arrivals; do not let a charger queue spill into the order lane.

Review accessible approaches, kerbs and connector handling with the designer using DfT inclusive mobility guidance [S8]. Ask the planning adviser to assess equipment, signage, lighting, any canopy and the site’s UK nation. Check land and access rights with your solicitor before ordering.

What power supply does a rapid charging unit need?

The distribution network operator (DNO) manages your local electricity network. Start with measured kitchen, refrigeration and other actual building loads alongside proposed charging demand. Government guidance recommends early network engagement for multiple or substantial installations and prices connection work separately [S4].

Ask for a design showing available charging power during meal peaks. Compare a constrained design with a larger connection using the grid upgrade guide. If solar or storage is proposed, request a separate energy model, capital budget and operating limits; neither establishes continuous spare power.

Which public charging rules and grants need checking?

Customer access brings the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 into consideration [S5]. Identify the operator and check pricing, contactless payment, support, data and roaming duties against its scope and microbusiness provisions. DfT guidance explains how those duties apply [S9]. Check the arrangement with your solicitor.

WCS support can reach £500 per eligible workplace socket and is announced until 31 March 2027 [S1]. Ordinary customer bays do not meet its business staff/fleet restriction [S2]. Assess any staff sockets separately.

Qualifying new and unused chargepoint equipment bought before April 2027 may attract a 100% first-year allowance [S3]. Check with your accountant; it is a deduction from taxable profits, not a matching capital refund.

Next steps

Gather queue observations, parked-stop demand, opening hours, land rights and electricity records. Compare rapid charger costs, then get matched with an installer that covers your area.

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