Depot Charging Scheme reopens: plan before funds run out

The Government's Depot Charging Scheme reopened for applications on 28 October, FleetPoint reports. It part-funds chargepoints and the civil works to install them at depots used by battery-electric vans, HGVs and coaches. £66m is available across two windows within a £170m programme running to 2030. This second window closes on 29 January 2027 for projects delivered by 31 March 2028, and the grant rate for this window has not yet been confirmed.

For operators with depots, this is one of the few grants that pays for the infrastructure rather than the vehicles, which are supported separately through the plug-in van and truck grant. Applications are assessed first come, first served, each organisation can make one application (covering as many sites as it needs), and only costs incurred after the grant agreement is signed are eligible.

The practical work is in the evidence. A credible application needs a view of which vehicles return to which depot, when they are parked, how far they travel each day and how much power that implies. Operators that already hold this from telematics and job data can size charging properly and apply early. Those that do not risk either over-building or missing the window.

Sticklebrick helps fleets turn that operational data into a defensible plan. The free Data Readiness Score checks whether your telematics and depot records can support a charging case, and a contained Pilot can model duty cycles and charging demand. Fleetgenius supports the fleet analysis, and GreenTurtles can track the emissions saving once vehicles are on charge.