In the UK, every 5th new car sold is an electric vehicle (EV), and with the cost of fuel going up, it’s hardly surprising! While it’s evident that there has been an increase in the number of electric cars on our roads, the availability of EV charging points still needs to catch up. It is estimated that there needs to be at least four times the number of public electric car charging points by the end of 2030 to cater to the forecasted number of electric cars.
Installing EV charging points at your holiday or caravan park will not only help solve this issue, it can also generate additional revenue. Installing EV charge points can help improve efficiency, convenience, and cost-effectiveness for your business.
Charging point costs
The cost of getting an electric car charging point supplied and installed can differ depending on what charging units you decide to go for, there are slower and faster units available.
The good news, the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) has introduced two grants that are available to help towards the installation costs of EV chargers. These are the Workplace Charging Scheme and the EV infrastructure grant.
Applying for funding is easy
A company like R-EV Power can claim the workplace OLEV grant on your behalf to support the upfront costs of the purchase and installation of your electric vehicle charge points. The grant covers up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV charge points (inclusive of VAT), capped at a maximum of:
- £350 per socket
- 40 sockets across all sites per applicant – for instance, if you would like to install them in 40 sites, you will have 1 socket available per site
The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCA) is available to any business, charity, or public authority with some conditions:
- You must have sufficient off-street parking which is only used by staff or the fleet and which must be either on-site or a reasonable distance from the place of work.
- While you do not need to currently have electric vehicles as part of your fleet, you will need to express an existing or future need for the business.
- You must have the charging station installed by an OLEV-approved WCS installer like Rawson EV-Power.
The EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets is available for all small-to-medium-sized businesses in the UK. The grant covers up to 75% of the cost of installed infrastructure needed for chargepoints. The grant is limited to £15,000 per grant.
Businesses can qualify for up to:
- £350 per chargepoint socket installed
- £500 per parking space that requires supporting infrastructure.
Each parking space you are claiming must have a unique chargepoint socket associated with it, or you must have future plans to install a chargepoint.
The grant is available to businesses that meet certain conditions:
- Your small to medium business must have no more than 249 employees.
- You must be a UK-registered company, charity or public sector organisation.
- You must have a VAT registration number.
- You must have a Companies House company registration number.
Ways to increase revenue with an EV Charging point
There are various models that businesses can adopt to generate revenue from EV charging points. The first, and most obvious is that revenue can be generated from drivers who pay to charge their vehicle. You can set your charging fees, make a mark-up on the energy used, and adjust them at any time.
Secondly, you can offer EV charging for free for customers. In return, they are likely to return to your business, stay for longer and as a result spend more money with you.
Other benefits of installing an EV Charger at your business:
Convenience
EV chargers make it convenient for your customers and staff who may have to travel long journeys and need to top up their EV whilst visiting. This is particularly useful if your location is quite remote as having convenient charging points will save them time and reduce the “range anxiety” of your customers and staff.
Improved visibility
EV charging points will help put your business on the map. EV charging Apps such as Zap Map, Project EV Pro and Monta give electric vehicle drivers access to locate nearby sites with electric charging points.
Demonstrates commitment to the environment
Social responsibility for businesses is a huge topic. Many companies are making great strides in reducing their energy consumption in day to day operations, introducing electric vehicles and looking at carbon-neutral initiatives. Installing electric vehicle chargers sends a clear and visible message about your environmental commitment as a business.
Customers stay for longer
If you have a shop on your site, EV charging points can attract customers to your premises and stay for longer whilst their vehicle is charging. And longer browsing times can increase the amount a customer spends with you.
The demand for EV charging is only set to increase and as a business owner, EV charging points are a beneficial way to boost your green credentials and give customers and employees added convenience.
No matter the size, location and EV requirements of your business, Rawson EV-Power can provide bespoke installation solutions to suit your company’s needs.
Visit https://r-evpower.co.uk/commercial-ev-charger-installer/
or call 01978 808517 to find out more.
