Depot Charging Scheme (DCS): electrify your fleet at scale
Heavy-duty infrastructure funding for HGVs, vans, and coaches
Transitioning a commercial fleet to zero-emission is a major operational shift. The Depot Charging Scheme (DCS) is a £170 million multi-year investment (2026–2030) designed to de-risk that move by part-funding the heavy-duty power and civil works your depots need for battery-electric HGVs, vans, and coaches. It is not a workplace voucher route — it is a Find a Grant programme with its own caps, evidence and timelines. Always verify the live listing on Find a grant: Depot Charging Scheme before you commit capital.
Status update (May 2026): We are in Application Window 1. Programme materials advertise 70% funding and up to £1 million per organisation for this cycle, assessed first-come, first-served — competition for the pot is intense and the window can close early if allocation is exhausted.
ZOLB EV turns grid constraints, DNO lead times and depot layout into an application-ready technical narrative — your commercial EV installation partner alongside the official rules, not a substitute for them.
- Window 1 open · FCFS
- 70% · up to £1m / org (verify)
- Close 30 Jun 2026 or sooner
Window 1: critical timelines and figures
Success in this window needs a shovel-ready mindset. Applications are assessed as they arrive; once the £28 million allocation publicised for spend in 2026/27 in programme materials is committed, the window can close early — confirm the latest on Find a grant.
| Feature | Window 1 details (active now) |
|---|---|
| Funding rate | 70% of eligible chargepoint and civil works costs (confirm wording on Find a Grant) |
| Maximum grant | Up to £1 million per organisation across all sites in this cycle |
| Application window | Opened 25 March 2026 — closes 30 June 2026 (midday) or earlier if funds are exhausted — FCFS |
| Completion deadline | All works commissioned by 31 March 2027 per programme copy |
| Next opportunity | Window 2 opens 28 October 2026 (rates TBC on Find a Grant) |
DCS vs WCS: which grant fits your site?
Choosing the wrong scheme wastes time and can risk technical disqualification. In headline terms:
- Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS): Best for office staff parking and light-duty visitor charging. Voucher-style route with per-socket caps in current guidance (e.g. £500 per socket from 1 April 2026 completions in publicised workplace rules — always cross-check GOV.UK).
- Depot Charging Scheme (DCS): Purpose-built for fleet operations: high-power dispensers, significant civils (trenching, substations, hardstanding), and the infrastructure to turn around HGVs, coaches, and large van fleets.
If you operate both patterns, you may need both programmes across different sites — map use cases before you upload evidence.
Why ZOLB EV is your depot delivery partner
A credible DCS pack is more than a generic quote — it is a technical narrative showing delivery inside the government’s 31 March 2027 completion window.
1. Grid and DNO capacity modelling
We baseline existing supply and run the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) path with you. A connection offer is often the pacing item for a defensible bid; we help you chase clarity early so your programme dates are not fiction.
2. Layout and civil engineering
Depots are high-traffic environments. We design bays around HGV turning circles, trailer swing and driver safety. Our scope includes the trenching, cabling and concrete works that typically form the bulk of the 70% grant-eligible envelope — subject to what the live scheme defines as eligible.
3. “Application-ready” documentation
We supply single-line diagrams, hardware specifications and phased delivery milestones formatted for the Find a Grant portal — you remain the applicant, we supply the install narrative. When you are ready to move from paper to steel, we deliver commercial EV charging through energisation. Contact ZOLB EV with your depot list and vehicle plan.
Frequently asked questions
Can we apply for multiple depots in one bid?
Yes. You are limited to one application per organisation per window, but that single application can (and often should) cover your entire UK depot estate to use the £1 million cap efficiently — subject to how Find a Grant asks you to break out sites and costs. Confirm field-level rules on the live form.
Do we need the electric trucks on-site today?
No — but you must evidence a fleet trajectory: for example that you already own, lease, or have ordered at least one qualifying battery-electric commercial vehicle, and that the infrastructure is sized for your transition. Match your wording to the current eligibility checklist on Find a Grant.
What if we miss the 30 June deadline?
If Window 1 closes or funds are exhausted, the next published opportunity is Window 2 (from 28 October 2026). Grant rates for that phase were not confirmed in the same programme excerpt — securing the published 70% Window 1 position (while it remains available) may be the most predictable cost outcome until OZEV publishes later rates. Always re-read Find a Grant before you model year-two economics.
Related grant programmes
Three programmes only — each card uses the same hero imagery as the target landing. Wider UK notes sit on the EV charging grants hub.
Secure your depot strategy
The gap between a successful award and a rejected bid is often the quality of the initial site survey and the realism of your power and civils programme.
Let’s build a depot that powers your business, backed by the maximum available government support — always verify the live Find a Grant listing.