Are you ready to consider adding workplace EV charging points to your business premises? This convenience for employees and customers is quickly becoming a necessity, as more and more drivers across the United Kingdom are joining the transition to electric vehicles.
By investing in this environmentally-friendly technology, you’ll be future-proofing your business against the increasing pressures for organisations to reduce their carbon footprint and to implement renewable energy solutions.
If you’re willing to support the transition to electric, and to drive your workforce into reducing their carbon footprint, then you’ll want to be aware of these top considerations that will help you get the most from your workplace EV chargers.
Assess the demand
Prior to making this investment, we highly recommend evaluating the demand of your customers and employees, as this will form the basis of how many charging points you should consider installing at your premises. For example, if your business has a number of electric fleet vehicles used for delivering goods and services, then you may require a more advanced EV charging set-up.
To gain a basic understanding of the uptake, you can send out a simple survey to gauge the interest of your relevant stakeholders.
ORKA’s workplace EV charger solutions are completely bespoke to the premises. We’ll never cram your needs into a one-size-fits-all package - we’ll listen to you and the feedback you’ve gathered to curate a system that you’ll truly benefit from.
Offer different charger types
It’s important to remember that some chargers are not compatible with every type of electric vehicle - when deciding on a workplace EV charging infrastructure, you’ll need to implement the chargers that will satisfy the intended usage of your staff and customers.
The two most common types of EV chargers are known as Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC). AC charging points provide slower charging times compared to DC chargers, however, they are compatible with the majority of electric vehicles. DC chargers can rapidly charge batteries within a short period of time, yet require a more advanced infrastructure and are not universally compatible with all EV models.
Deciding on the right number of workplace EV charge points and the variations to install can seem like a daunting task, but that’s where ORKA can help. We have vast experience in the designing and installation of EV charging infrastructures at an array of workplaces across Aberdeen and beyond.
Implement a fair usage policy and communicate this
Although not a necessity, employers ought to consider a fair usage policy for their workplace EV chargers - especially if the premises is home to a large number of employees, or if they are visited regularly by customers.
Organisations can create guidelines that detail charging times and session durations to ensure all stakeholders can benefit from your workplace EV charging set-up. Employers may also want to consider allowing for employee-only charging times or zones to ensure their staff have priority when it comes to charging their vehicles.
If you’re unsure where to start when creating a fair usage policy, then get in touch with ORKA’s team of experts who will respond to your query as soon as possible.
Choose whether to generate revenue
Business owners will also need to decide whether or not they wish to generate a new revenue stream by installing a workplace EV charging system. If employers choose to offer free electric vehicle charging, then it’s likely that they’ll see an increase in employee satisfaction while they may also find it less challenging to encourage their staff to transition to electric vehicles.
However, if businesses choose to install paid-for workplace EV charging, then this can open a fruitful revenue stream. At ORKA, we give our customers the opportunity to completely customise their EV charging package with the ability to assign groups and specific access and costs to each.
For example, businesses may wish to offer free workplace EV charging to their employees, but can choose to charge customers and visitors for their usage.
Provide incentives for EV adoption
Providing workplace EV charging to your employees is an excellent way to encourage them to reduce their carbon footprint, which ultimately helps your business be more sustainable.
Employers can take extra steps to inspire greener commuting choices through incentives, such as by providing preferred or prime parking spaces to electric vehicle drivers. This convenience may just be the extra nudge needed to help some of your staff members transition to electric vehicles.
Businesses may also wish to recognise the employees who are making an effort to support the transition to electric vehicles and to the company’s sustainability goals through internal communication channels. By acknowledging your staff’s contribution to the environment, it can encourage other employees to consider more sustainable methods of getting to the workplace, which in turn will reduce the carbon footprint associated with your business.
Make the most of initiatives
We recommend businesses keep up-to-date with the latest initiatives and grants relevant to workplace EV chargers, as this will inform your decision-making and help you determine when to make this upgrade to your premises.
As the UK government aims to phase out the sale of fossil fuel vehicles by 2030, this has led to the introduction of several government grants and initiatives to help meet the demand of electric vehicles and charging points.
An example initiative is the Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) - this provides financial aid to eligible businesses and organisations that will help with their installation costs.
If you don’t know which scheme your business may be eligible for, then get in touch with one of ORKA’s experts who will be able to advise.
Stay ahead of the competition, and join the transition to workplace EV charging
Our team of experts are on-hand to deliver a bespoke workplace charging solution for your business - click here to find out more.
