Simple, reliable and plentiful charging is a cornerstone of the UK’s growing EV market – and the Government understands how important that experience is for drivers.
The UK already runs one of the world’s most advanced public charging networks. We’re working towards installing more than 300,000 live chargers by 2030. By then, 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans will be electric. We’re also raising the bar for reliability, which makes preventative maintenance essential for charge point operators (CPOs).
That’s good news for fleets. Many businesses are leading the way in EV adoption, driven by long-term tax benefits and ambitious sustainability goals. According to the BVRLA, around half of all business contract hire (BCH) car deliveries are now electric. Expanding charging access — both at depots and on the road — helps commercial vehicle fleets make that transition, too.
However, depending on where they fit into the charging ecosystem, some fleets may face unexpected (and costly) challenges. Here’s what fleet managers need to know.
In this article, Naomi Nye, Head of Sales – EV charging at Drax Electric Vehicles, highlights the regulations that support the charging network and how fleet managers can reduce charging costs.
EV reliability – what’s the law?
The Public Charge Point Regulations (2023) set out clear, high standards for CPOs to build trust in the UK’s fast-growing infrastructure.
Most of the rules already apply. CPOs must offer clear pricing, contactless payment systems and high reliability. The regulations cover any charger available to the public — even those on private land with restricted access hours.
This means UK CPOs are complying with the world’s toughest uptime standards. Rapid chargers (50kW or more) must operate 99% of the time. CPOs must also provide 24/7 manned customer support and publish performance reports for the public and regulators.
The regulations allow for exceptions, such as vandalism or scheduled maintenance. However, a faulty contactless payment system still counts as downtime if it stops a driver from charging. Each breach can cost CPOs £10,000 — per charger. Cutting corners with maintenance and inspections isn’t just an inconvenience for drivers, it’s become an expensive gamble.
Do public charging regulations affect fleets?
Potentially — but there’s no need to worry just yet. Most workplace chargers fall outside the regulations, as long as they’re used only by employees, visitors or carpool drivers travelling with staff. That includes shared charging schemes, such as the one the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) is developing.
However, around 4,208 “semi-public” chargers are currently in use — nearly 6% of the UK’s public network — and these must follow the regulations. For fleets, that could mean adding contactless payment systems to new 8kW+ units and meeting the 99% uptime target for rapid chargers during public access hours.
Interestingly, Government data shows that the number of semi-public chargers has dropped by around 1,000 since most regulations came into effect last November.
Even so, fleets have a strong incentive to invest. Research by Drax Electric Vehicles found that cost remains the biggest barrier to installing chargers. Making them available to the public creates a revenue stream that can help offset installation costs — especially for rapid chargers, which are expensive to install but support shorter dwell times.
How can fleets ensure they’re compliant?
The good news? Fleets don’t need to navigate this alone. Experienced partners like Drax Electric Vehicles can help design infrastructure that fits your needs while identifying ways to open it up to the public and generate income when it’s not in use.
As a CPO, we take full responsibility for ensuring your depot and destination-based infrastructure meets strict service level agreements (SLAs) and complies with the latest Government regulations.
We take a proactive approach because we know your chargers are mission-critical. We offer schedule routine inspections outside peak hours as a service to detect damage or wear before it causes downtime. This includes mandatory twice-yearly checks of Residual Current Devices (RCDs) on workplace chargers.
Thanks to high connectivity, we also monitor everything remotely. Our back-office system lets us spot and fix faults, push firmware updates, and dispatch engineers when needed. That reduces the operational burden on fleet managers — who already juggle cost controls, emissions targets and the need to keep vehicles on the road.
Turning regulation into opportunity
Fleets will be increasingly important stakeholders as demand for public charging gathers pace in the UK, but that opportunity comes with risks. Decision-makers need partners who can help navigate the regulatory pitfalls and deliver the simple, reliable and plentiful charging opportunities the Government wants to offer drivers
