2026 Update: PSDS & IETF closed. AIA gives 100% year-one relief on solar. 2026 active stack still delivers 40–60% effective subsidy. See 2026 grants →

UK commercial EV cost — May 2026

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 + AIA impact on net economics.

UK commercial EV charging cost by hardware type

TypeHardwareInstallTotal per chargerUse 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.

Annual Investment Allowance on EV charging plant

Commercial EV charging plant is "main pool" plant for capital allowances — eligible for the Annual Investment Allowance. 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. Annual Investment Allowance 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)
  • Annual Investment Allowance 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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Commercial EV charging cost FAQs

How much does a single commercial EV charger cost in 2026?
For a single 7kW AC workplace charger: £900-£1,800 fully installed. For 22kW AC fast: £2,200-£3,500. For 50kW DC rapid: £18,000-£28,000. For 150kW DC ultra-rapid: £40,000-£80,000. For 350kW DC forecourt-grade: £85,000-£150,000. Costs include hardware, electrical install, mounting, signage. DNO connection and any non-contestable network reinforcement is separate.
How much does it cost to install 10 commercial EV chargers?
Depends on charger type. 10 × 7kW workplace chargers: £9,000-£18,000 hardware + install. After OZEV WCS grant (£350/socket × 10 = £3,500) and the Annual Investment Allowance (~25%), effective net cost £5,500-£11,000. 10 × 22kW fast chargers: £22,000-£35,000. 10 × 50kW DC rapid chargers: £180,000-£280,000 (rare to install 10 rapid chargers in one project — most rapid sites are 2-6 chargers).
What does OZEV WCS grant pay?
OZEV Workplace Charging Scheme pays £350 per socket, max 40 sockets per business, max £14,000 per business. For a typical 10-socket workplace install at £18,000 hardware + install, OZEV WCS contributes £3,500 — approximately 19% of capex. Combined with the Annual Investment Allowance (25% effective tax saving), total effective subsidy is around 41% of headline capex on a typical workplace EV charging install.
What does ultra-rapid commercial EV charging cost per kW?
For ultra-rapid 150-350kW DC chargers, cost per kW of installed power capacity: 150kW charger at £40-80k = £270-£530/kW. 350kW charger at £85-150k = £240-£430/kW. The per-kW cost falls slightly with higher power chargers (better hardware economies of scale) but rises with site complexity (DNO costs, civils, weatherproofing, accessibility compliance for forecourt grade).
How long does it take to recoup commercial EV charging capex?
Workplace EV charging (free for staff): 3-6 years payback purely on staff retention / recruitment value (no direct charging revenue). With OZEV grant + AIA, financial case improves materially. Destination/forecourt EV charging (paid sessions): 4-7 years typical payback at 30-60p/kWh delivered electricity prices, depending on utilisation. Combined with on-site solar reducing electricity wholesale cost: 3-5 years.

Funding by asset class

The allowance depends on the asset, and most pages on this topic get it the wrong way round. Solar PV is special-rate expenditure (HMRC Capital Allowances Manual CA22335), so the 100% year-one route is the Annual Investment Allowance — Full Expensing is a main-rate measure and does not reach it. Battery storage, EV charging and heat pumps are main-rate plant, so Full Expensing genuinely does apply to those.

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