Commercial EV Charging Finance
Commercial EV charging finance. Civils, power and software, funded together.
The chargepoint is rarely the expensive part. Trenching, switchgear, supply upgrades and payment systems are, and they need funding too.
Typical project size , £40,000 – £2,000,000
In short
How ev charging finance works in the UK
Commercial EV charging finance covers chargers, groundworks, cabling and any supply upgrade on a single agreement, usually hire purchase or a finance lease over three to seven years. The deciding factor is often the site's available capacity: if the DNO needs to upgrade the supply, the timeline and cost change before the funding does.
Easier to talk it through? Call 01604 969123 or email tom@gridassetfinance.co.uk
| Typical facility | £40,000 to £2 million |
|---|---|
| Usual structures | Hire purchase, finance lease, staged drawdown |
| Typical term | 3 to 7 years |
| Deposit | VAT only to 20% |
| Trading history | Normally 2 years of filed accounts |
| What funders want to see | Charger spec, installer quote, supply capacity, landlord consent |
| Tax treatment | Hire purchase usually lets the business claim capital allowances, including the Annual Investment Allowance. How the kit is classified decides the rate, so your accountant should confirm. |
| Indicative view | Within one working day of the information arriving |
Indicative ranges, not a quotation. GRID is a credit broker, not a lender. Finance subject to status.
What usually gets in the way
- Quotes arrive split across installer, DNO and software vendor.
- Supply upgrade costs land late and blow the approved budget.
- Revenue-generating charging needs funding that survives a ramp-up period.
Why businesses finance it
- Fund the whole install as one asset rather than three disconnected invoices.
- Start earning or saving before the capital is fully repaid.
- Protect cash for the operating side of the business.
How GRID helps
Structured by people who read the load profile first.
We fund groundworks and enabling works, not only hardware.
We structure around DNO connection dates and phased energisation.
We understand utilisation ramp and build it into the term.
Example projects
Real shapes, real structures.
Depot charging, 24 bays
Full civils, switchgear and 1.2MVA supply upgrade funded together.
Retail destination, 6 rapids
Hardware, groundworks and payment platform on one agreement.
Workplace, 30 sockets
Phased across two car parks with load management.
Another commercial route
Compare ownership with a Power Purchase Agreement
Finance is not the only way to deliver an energy project. A PPA can avoid the upfront asset purchase in exchange for a long term agreement to buy the power produced.
Explore Power Purchase AgreementsOther project types we fund
Go deeper
Guides on this kind of project
EV charging finance: a project we funded
Two Tesla Model Y Performance, funded when the manufacturer said no
Charging follows the vehicles. Here is how we funded the fleet side for a director group.
FAQs
Commercial EV Charging Finance: common questions
Practical answers on structure, cost and what funders look at. Call 01604 969123 if your question is not covered.
Does EV charging finance cover groundworks and supply upgrades?
It can. The chargepoints are often the smaller part of the bill once trenching, switchgear, ducting and a supply upgrade are priced, so we look to fund the installed scheme rather than the hardware alone.
Can revenue generating charging be funded during ramp up?
Yes, though the structure needs to allow for utilisation building over time. We set terms with that ramp in mind instead of assuming day one throughput.
Can back office and payment software be included?
Frequently, yes, where it forms part of the installed scheme. Funders treat software differently to hardware, so it depends on the proportion and the supplier contract.