Key highlights
- The UK government is allocating £63m to expand EV charging, including £30m for commercial fleet depots, £25m for cross-pavement home charging, and £8m to electrify NHS fleets – a key step toward Net Zero 2050.
- Tellus Power offers high-capacity chargers (up to 1MW), battery-integrated solutions, and V2X technology to boost grid resilience, cut energy costs, and turn EV infrastructure into a long-term business asset.
- With 32% of UK homes lacking off-street parking, Tellus Power enables more residents to charge at home through Smart AC chargers and cross-pavement gullies.
A catalyst for change — not just funding
The UK government’s £63 million investment in EV charging is more than a budget line — it’s a catalyst for change. Councils, fleets, and the NHS now have the chance to do more than simply add charge points. They can reimagine their energy strategies: making charging part of a broader shift towards cleaner mobility, grid stability, and sustainable growth.
Net Zero by 2050 is not just a target – it’s a transformation of how we power, move, and manage energy. Charging infrastructure is central to this transition. The winners will be those who look beyond compliance and hardware, and instead treat charging as a strategic energy platform.
At Tellus Power, we see every charger not as a cost centre, but as a potential profit centre – enabling lower operational costs, greater resilience, and even new revenue streams from stored energy.
Funding breakdown
- £30m for depot charging grants to help commercial fleets electrify.
- £25m for cross-pavement charging, serving households without driveways.
- £8m to electrify NHS fleets, cutting carbon and fuel costs.
- New signage on A-roads to improve charger visibility.
1) Fleets: building resilience into depot charging
The Depot Charging Scheme can cover up to 75% of chargepoint and civil works costs (capped at £1m). For commercial fleets, this represents an unprecedented opportunity to de-risk electrification.
- High-power DC (up to 1MW) ensures HGVs, buses, and coaches can charge fast, reducing downtime and keeping operations efficient.
- Our AC/DC Battery Integrated Charger combines a 215kWh battery with a 22kW AC input, enabling depots to avoid costly grid upgrades. Energy is stored off-peak and discharged during fleet charging, cutting demand charges and maximising tariff flexibility.
- Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) technology transforms EVs into active energy assets. Instead of sitting idle, vehicles can export power back to the grid or facility, stabilising local networks and generating revenue.
Case in point: In Oakland, California, we delivered fleet-scale V2G integration. Working with a large municipal bus depot, we demonstrated how predictable dwell times can unlock significant savings. By exporting during peak demand and absorbing renewable energy overnight, the project reduced operating costs while supporting the grid. This hard-won integration expertise is exactly what UK fleets can now access.
Why this matters: Depot charging is not just about plugging in – it’s about future-proofing logistics, managing costs, and ensuring that fleet electrification strengthens, rather than stresses, the grid.
2) Councils: solving the home charging challenge
With 32% of UK households lacking off-street parking, councils face one of the biggest structural barriers to EV adoption. If residents cannot charge affordably at home, the transition risks leaving millions behind.
- Cross-pavement gullies provide a safe, practical solution, allowing residents to route home charging cables across pavements without obstructing pedestrians. This simple innovation unlocks at-home charging for households previously excluded.
- Our Smart AC Chargers (7–22kW) are wall-mounted, OZEV-eligible, and designed for mass deployment. Features include dynamic load balancing, PME fault detection, and RFID/app controls, which makes them easy for councils to procure and manage.
- When paired with gullies and energy management software, these become part of a joined-up ecosystem that local authorities can scale efficiently.
- Why this matters: Access and equity are central to Net Zero. By deploying cross-pavement solutions, councils can democratise EV charging, ensuring that cost savings and environmental benefits are available to all residents and not just those with driveways.
3) NHS: powering essential services sustainably
The NHS is one of the largest fleet operators in the UK, with thousands of vehicles supporting critical services every day. Electrifying this fleet will not only cut emissions but also reduce fuel and maintenance costs significantly.
- Reliability is paramount: high-reliability charging ensures ambulances and patient transport vehicles are always ready.
- Battery-integrated chargers help NHS Trusts overcome site constraints, particularly where hospitals have limited grid capacity.
- V2X potential: NHS fleets could one day act as distributed energy resources, supporting local grid stability during peaks.
Why this matters: NHS electrification is not just about sustainability targets. It’s about building resilient healthcare systems where transport costs are lower, fleets are cleaner, and hospitals can focus more resources on patient care.
Beyond the UK – the European perspective
The UK’s £63m boost fits into a wider European trend. Under the EU’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), member states must rapidly scale EV charging networks, ensure open access, and publish real-time availability data.
What sets the UK apart is its uptime mandate: rapid charge points must deliver 99% reliability. While AFIR doesn’t currently impose uptime standards, many tenders across Europe are already setting 97–99% thresholds.
Tellus Power’s approach combines robust hardware with battery buffering and V2X integration, designed for these conditions. By focusing on resilience and availability, we help operators meet evolving regulatory expectations across markets.
Designing for resilience and ROI
Too often, organisations treat EV charging as a box-ticking exercise. But the true value comes when infrastructure is designed for:
- Resilience: ensuring operations continue during grid stress.
- Cost efficiency: shifting demand to off-peak, minimising upgrades.
- Revenue creation: turning depots into energy hubs through V2X.
- Future readiness: preparing for the shift to bi-directional vehicles and stricter regulations.
This is where Tellus Power stands apart — not just providing chargers, but building energy strategies that grow with your organisation.
Next steps: turning policy into opportunity
- Map your opportunity: Align depots, housing stock, and NHS sites with the correct funding streams.
- Choose the right hardware mix: From Smart AC to ultra-rapid DC and battery-integrated solutions, match technology to demand.
- Design for resilience and ROI: Make V2X part of the roadmap for long-term payback.
- Deliver with confidence: From site assessments to commissioning and support, we offer end-to-end partnership.
The government’s £63m programme is a springboard — but only for those who think strategically. The real winners will treat charging as more than infrastructure, but as a future-proof energy platform.
Let’s discuss how to turn your EV investment into a long-term asset.
Contact us via the form below or email [email protected].
References:
https://www.drive-electric.co.uk/news/63-million-electric-car-charging-boost/
