Electrifying a 24-van last-mile logistics depot (representative West Midlands project, 2026)

The project in detail

Building

Single-storey distribution/last-mile depot: ~2,400 m2 warehouse plus office, secured yard, ~90 staff, running a 24-van delivery fleet transitioning from diesel to electric, plus ~12 employee/visitor bays.

Vehicles

24 electric panel vans (replacing diesel), each ~14,000 miles/year — roughly 336,000 fleet miles/year.

Sockets installed

37 sockets: 24 x 7kW overnight fleet sockets (12 twin units); 8 x 7kW sockets for employees' own EVs; 4 x 22kW AC for daytime pool/quick-turnaround; 1 x 60kW DC rapid for same-day redeploys. The 36 AC sockets sit within the WCS 40-socket cap; the DC rapid was funded from capex.

Power & connection

Supply upgraded to three-phase (~200A/phase). Because it is three-phase and total load exceeds 60A, a G99 application was submitted and DNO approval obtained BEFORE energising. Dynamic load management staggers the 24 overnight sockets within the headroom left by the depot's base load, so every van fully charges over the 10+ hour overnight window WITHOUT a costly grid reinforcement.

Grant

Workplace Charging Scheme (2026 rate) claimed on the 36 AC sockets: £500/socket, up to 75% of cost = £18,000 off capex. The EV Infrastructure Grant for Staff & Fleets could NOT be used — it closed to installer claims on 26 May 2026.

Capex

~£120,000 total: 36 AC sockets incl. civils and cabling ~£54k; 60kW DC rapid ~£32k; three-phase board, load-management controller, G99/DNO works and yard trenching ~£28k; design, PM, RFID/back-office ~£6k. Net capex after the £18,000 WCS grant ~£102,000.

Running cost

Previous diesel fuel ~£74,000/year (336,000 miles at ~22p/mile). Electric on a commercial overnight tariff ~£23,500/year (~7p/mile). Indicative fuel saving ~£50,000/year, before lower maintenance and Clean Air Zone avoidance.

Payback

~2 years on the charging infrastructure

Outcome

The 8 dedicated staff sockets let employees charge their own EVs at work tax-free (no BiK, s237A ITEPA) — a real recruitment perk; company EVs are taxed at just 4% BiK in 2026/27. Switching the fleet removes the depot's tailpipe (Scope 1) fuel emissions — on the order of ~80 tonnes CO2/year at this mileage (indicative; grid electricity carries residual emissions, so the net saving is lower) — feeding SECR/ESG reporting.

The ~80 tonnes CO2/year figure is an indicative illustration for ~336,000 diesel-van-miles avoided, not a verified measurement.

All figures are representative and indicative, not a named client. They vary by site, DNO region, tariff and vehicle choice. See how the grant and running-cost maths work on our is it worth it? and cost pages.