Commercial EV charging cost UK — by charger type, 2026 prices.
UK commercial EV charging costs £900 per 7kW workplace socket through £150k per 350kW forecourt-grade charger. Full breakdown by charger type, plus OZEV grant + Full Expensing impact on net economics.
UK commercial EV charging cost by hardware type
| Type | Hardware | Install | Total per charger | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7kW AC workplace | £400-£900 | £500-£900 | £900-£1,800 | Staff parking, long-dwell |
| 22kW AC fast | £900-£1,800 | £1,300-£1,700 | £2,200-£3,500 | Hotel, retail destination |
| 50kW DC rapid | £12,000-£18,000 | £6,000-£10,000 | £18,000-£28,000 | Forecourt, fleet depot |
| 150kW DC ultra-rapid | £25,000-£60,000 | £15,000-£20,000 | £40,000-£80,000 | Motorway service area, premium destination |
| 350kW DC ultra-rapid | £60,000-£90,000 | £25,000-£60,000 | £85,000-£150,000 | Forecourt grade, multi-bay |
Per-kW cost falls with higher-power chargers
UK commercial EV charging cost per kW of installed power capacity:
- 7kW AC: £130-260/kW
- 22kW AC: £100-160/kW
- 50kW DC rapid: £360-560/kW
- 150kW DC ultra-rapid: £270-530/kW
- 350kW DC ultra-rapid: £240-430/kW
The 50kW band is more expensive per kW because it sits between economies — too small for forecourt-grade hardware optimisation but big enough to need full DC infrastructure.
OZEV grants reduce effective cost
Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS): £350/socket, max 40 sockets/business, max £14,000/business. Approximately 19% of capex on typical workplace install.
EV Infrastructure Grant for Staff and Fleet: Up to 75% of installation costs, max £15,000/business. More substantial relief but tighter eligibility.
Full Expensing on EV charging plant
Commercial EV charging plant is "main pool" plant for capital allowances — eligible for Full Expensing. For UK incorporated companies (25% main rate CT): 25p of corporation tax saved per £1 of qualifying capex. Combined with OZEV WCS, total effective subsidy on a typical workplace install is around 41% of headline capex. Full Expensing detail.
DNO costs — the cost variable that surprises
For chargers above 22kW AC per phase, G99 DNO application is required. Non-contestable network reinforcement charges can dominate ultra-rapid charging projects — typically £40,000-£200,000 on constrained networks. Always pull pre-application DNO assessment before committing to high-capacity charging. DNO cost analysis.
Worked example — typical UK workplace EV charging install
10-socket workplace charging install with mix of 7kW AC and 22kW AC:
- Hardware (8 × 7kW + 2 × 22kW): £8,800
- Install: £6,200
- DNO costs: £2,000 (no significant reinforcement needed)
- Headline capex: £17,000
- OZEV WCS grant: £3,500 (£350 × 10 sockets)
- Full Expensing tax saving: £3,375 (25% on net of grant)
- 0% VAT (where bundled with solar): saved ~£2,800
- Effective net cost: £7,325
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