Facilities Manager’s Guide To Workplace EV Charging

Overview

Electric vehicles (EVs) currently qualify for significant tax breaks, making them increasingly popular as company cars for employees. Similarly, many companies are adding EVs as pool cars, or even buying electric vans. All of this adds up to increased demand for workplace charging, which often falls on facilities managers to implement. If you want your deployment of EV charging points to be successful and cost-effective, then you need a good plan.

Key Points:

• Perform a site analysis
• Understand your financials
• Take a total costs mindset
• Examine potential providers

Site analysis

In order to align power supply with demand from EV drivers, you need to understand what power is available from your site(s). Each location has a maximum amount of electricity available from the local grid – and remember, this has to power your premises as well as support workplace charging points.

A good EV charging provider will carry out a survey and help you to understand your on-site energy capacity. This data enables you to calculate how many chargers you can install at each location, as well as the maximum number of vehicles which can be on charge at the same time.

If EV uptake is high among your colleagues, then on the face of it, demand might outstrip supply. There are, however, two options to ensure that workplace charging is available for everyone. You can talk to your district network operator (DNO) about paying for them to upgrade your grid infrastructure to increase capacity. Be warned that it is very expensive, and if you rent your building, it is highly unlikely that your landlord will pay for it.

The smart option is to invest in workplace EV charge points with load-balancing capabilities. Load balancing is an automated technology that can choose when and for how long a vehicle is on charge, ensuring that your infrastructure is never overloaded.

Understanding the financials

Seek information on the costs of installing and maintaining the charge points from workplace charging providers. Explore financing options such as leasing the equipment if you want to minimise up-front capital outlay.

Also remember to investigate government incentives such as the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS).

And thirdly, consider changing your electricity tariff, as this will have the biggest impact on the cost of charging vehicles at work.

Do not shy away from having the discussion about setting a tariff for workplace charging. Some companies are happy to give away free charging at work to incentivise the adoption of EVs. However, many are now also introducing tariffs for charging at work. Some charging solutions allow you to set one tariff for employees and another for visitors – you can even monetise your workplace chargers by setting a third tariff for members of the public to use them during off-peak periods for your business, such as at night.

Total costs mindset

It is inadvisable to go into the procurement process with the mindset of getting the lowest possible price as this can end up costing you more in the long run. You will often find that the lowest price means the lowest system capabilities and lowest levels of aftercare. It also means missing out on the smart functionality that can add real value to workplace charging – including the flexibility to set multiple tariffs, plus data on charger state of health and energy usage.

Therefore, investing a little more up front will result in a significantly better return on investment in the long run.