What is the new EV infrastructure grant?
The EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets will assist businesses by giving companies money towards the infrastructure and installation costs of electric vehicle charge points.
The main purpose of the grant is to help businesses plan for the future demand of electric vehicles, as the UK gears towards reaching the goal of net zero by 2050. It also gives businesses the opportunity to invest in the infrastructure now with the option to install charge points at a later date.
Who is eligible for the EV infrastructure grant?
The grant is targeted at small to medium sized companies (SMEs) who are considering or are set on installing EV chargers for the sole use of their employees or fleets.
Each SME will have to meet the following criteria in order to quality for the grant:
Have 249 employees or less
Be registered at Companies House or VAT registered with HMRC
The business must satisfy state aid requirements by having received or currently pending at the time of application less than €200,000 of public support in the past 3 financial years and satisfy the state aid requirements for de minimis aid.
Landlords must also be registered at Companies House and/or be VAT registered. Similar to SMEs, the grant also covers the installation and infrastructure costs of the chargepoint with the main difference being it is for the sole use of the landlord's tenants in the residential car park.
What locations are eligible for the EV infrastructure grant?
Each EV chargepoint can only be installed within the following locations; Scotland, England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Anywhere in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man are not eligible.
If an installation requires cabling, or other parts of the installation is to be placed in or on another person's property or public land, access rights and permissions must be obtained and agreed before installation begins by all parties using legally binding agreements.
What are the rules and restrictions of the EV infrastructure grant?
Businesses are allowed a total of 5 grants, all of which must be spread across different sites in which the business owns, rents or leases. It is important to note that the charge points installed must only be used for staff or fleets, not visitors or guests.
Key points to consider for SMEs:
The grant supports the installation of charge points and future chargepoint locations
There must be a minimum of 5 parking spaces provisioned with charging infrastructure
Each grant application has a maximum limit of £15,000
One application means one installer
How does the EV infrastructure grant differ from the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS)?
The EV infrastructure scheme is different to the Workplace Charge Scheme (WCS) as it helps to cover both the cost of the charger itself and the cost of the infrastructure that is needed for the installation. The Workplace Charging Scheme is purely focused on supporting the upfront costs of the purchase and installation of EV charge points and not the infrastructure.
How do I apply for the EV infrastructure grant?
The application process for both SMEs and landlords is relatively similar and can be carried out by completing the following:
You will need to register with DVLA using the EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets registration form or the EV infrastructure grant for residential car parks registration form
You must then pick an OZEV approved installer, such as ORKA, who will then apply for the grant funding on your behalf. Once the installation is complete, the installer will take off the grant funding from the total installation cost.