RELATED: What grants are available for fleet EV charging in the UK?
What the Depot Charging Scheme Covered
The Depot Charging Scheme was launched on 16 July 2025 with a £30 million budget, as part of a wider £63 million EV package. It covered 75% of eligible costs with a cap of £1 million per applicant across all their sites.
It was designed for registered UK fleet operators with at least one year of trading, running battery electric vans, HGVs, or coaches at commercial depots. Private businesses, public sector organisations, local authorities, and charities were all eligible.
The scheme closed to new applications on 28 November 2025, as scheduled.
What Happened Next
The EV Infrastructure Grant for Staff and Fleets became the main fallback route for fleet operators after the Depot Charging Scheme closed. It paid up to £15,000 per site, split between £500 per provisioned bay and £350 per active socket.
That grant also closed to new applications on 31 March 2026. Fleet operators now use the Workplace Charging Scheme as the sole OZEV grant for fleet EV charging.
RELATED: What replaced the EV Infrastructure Grant for fleets?
What Funding Is Available Now
The Workplace Charging Scheme is the active OZEV grant for fleet EV charging in 2026. It was uplifted from £350 to £500 per socket on 1 April 2026.
Key terms:
- £500 per active socket installed
- Covers 75% of purchase and installation cost per socket
- Maximum 40 sockets across all your sites
- Open to UK businesses, charities, and public sector organisations
- Must use an OZEV authorised installer
- Open to new applications until 31 March 2027
For a typical depot installing 10 chargers, that is £5,000 in grant funding. For a multi-site fleet operator claiming the full 40 sockets across locations, the maximum is £20,000.
Comparing the Three Schemes
| Feature | Depot Charging Scheme | EV Infrastructure Grant | Workplace Charging Scheme (active) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum funding | £1 million per organisation | £15,000 per site | 40 sockets × £500 = £20,000 portfolio-wide |
| Coverage | 75% of eligible costs | 75% of eligible costs | 75% per socket |
| Target | HGVs, vans, coaches at depots | SMEs under 250 employees | Any UK business, charity, or public body |
| Status | Closed (Nov 2025) | Closed (Mar 2026) | Open until 31 March 2027 |
| Scope | Chargepoints and civil works | Cabling, groundworks, chargepoints | Charger purchase and installation only |
What It Means for Larger Fleet Projects
For larger commercial fleet operators who would have targeted the Depot Charging Scheme, the current grant landscape is less generous. The Workplace Charging Scheme socket cap does not scale to the size of large depot installations.
In practice, larger fleet electrification projects are now structured around operational economics. Depot charging cost per kWh is typically 20-40% lower than public rapid networks. The operational savings on a typical multi-van fleet exceed the lost grant value within 12 to 18 months of operation.
We work through fleet project economics holistically. The grant is one component, but rarely the deciding factor on large depot builds. If you had planned around the Depot Charging Scheme, contact us and we will scope the project on current funding and operational terms.
