Electric Vans and Trade Fleets: Charging at Home and at the Yard

More London trades are switching to electric vans, helped by the ULEZ and lower running costs. A van that is out all day needs to be ready every morning, so the charging set-up matters. This post covers charging an electric van at home, charging several vans at a yard or unit, and what to plan before you buy.

Charging one van at home

If you take the van home at night and have off-street parking, a standard 7kW home charger is usually enough. Most vans are parked for 10 hours or more overnight, which is plenty of time to top up a typical day's mileage. A smart charger can be set to use cheaper overnight rates. Our guide to how long it takes to charge at home explains the numbers.

Charging a company van at an employee's home

If your staff take company vans home, you may want to fit chargers at their homes. Agree in writing who owns the charger, who pays for the electricity and what happens if the employee leaves. Many smart chargers can report energy used per session, which makes reimbursement simpler. Check with your accountant on how to treat this.

Charging several vans at a yard or unit

• Check the supply capacity first. Several chargers running at once can exceed what the building can take.
• Load management lets chargers share the available power, so you do not always need a bigger supply.
• A three-phase supply, if available, allows faster charging and more chargers. See our guide to three-phase chargers.
• Plan cable routes and charger positions so vans can park and plug in without trailing leads across the yard.

Our guide to workplace chargers for small London businesses covers the business side in more detail.

Tethered or untethered for vans

A tethered charger with the cable attached is quicker for drivers who plug in every night. An untethered socket suits a yard where different vehicles use the same point. See our guide to tethered or untethered chargers.

Before you buy the vans

Have a survey done before the vans arrive, so any supply or board upgrades are planned in time and the vans are not sitting idle. Check whether grants for business or workplace charging are open, as these change from time to time.

Energy North Ltd installs home and business chargers across North, East and West London with City & Guilds certified electricians. See our EV charger installation page to book a survey.