By Naomi Nye, Head of Sales – EV charging at Drax Electric Vehicles
Simple, reliable and plentiful charging is a cornerstone of the UK’s growing EV market – and the Government understands how important that experience is for drivers.
Facilities managers are increasingly being tasked with implementing and managing EV charging infrastructure across their properties. As estates expand their charging capabilities, understanding the regulatory landscape is critical not just for compliance, but for transforming potential challenges into revenue opportunities.
The UK already runs one of the world’s most advanced public charging networks, working towards installing more than 300,000 live chargers by 2030. For facilities managers, this rapid expansion presents both opportunities and significant compliance challenges.
With electric vehicles representing a growing portion of both corporate fleets and personal vehicles, facilities managers must ensure they’re making informed decisions about charging infrastructure that balance accessibility, compliance, and operational concerns. Here’s what you need to know.
EV reliability – what’s the law?
The Public Charge Point Regulations (2023) set out clear, high standards for CPOs to build trust in the UK’s fast-growing infrastructure.
Most of the rules already apply. CPOs must offer clear pricing, contactless payment systems and high reliability. The regulations cover any charger available to the public — even those on private land with restricted access hours.
This means UK CPOs are complying with the world’s toughest uptime standards. Rapid chargers (50kW or more) must operate 99% of the time. CPOs must also provide 24/7 manned customer support and publish performance reports for the public and regulators.
The regulations allow for exceptions, such as vandalism or scheduled maintenance. However, a faulty contactless payment system still counts as downtime if it stops a driver from charging. Each breach can cost CPOs £10,000 — per charger. Cutting corners with maintenance and inspections isn’t just an inconvenience for drivers, it’s become an expensive gamble.
Do these regulations affect facilities on your estate?
It depends on how your charging infrastructure is deployed. Most workplace chargers fall outside the regulations, as long as they’re used only by employees, visitors or carpool drivers travelling with staff. That includes shared charging schemes, such as the one the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) is developing.
However, around 4,208 “semi-public” chargers are currently in use — nearly 6% of the UK’s public network — and these must follow the regulations. For facilities managers, that could mean adding contactless payment systems to new 8kW+ units and meeting the 99% uptime target for rapid chargers during public access hours.
Interestingly, government data indicates that the number of semi-public chargers has decreased by around 1,000 since most regulations took effect last November, suggesting some may be reconsidering their approach.
Nevertheless, facilities have compelling reasons to invest. Research by Drax Electric Vehicles found that cost remains the biggest barrier to installing chargers. Making them available to the public creates a revenue stream that can help offset installation costs, especiallyfor rapid chargers, which are expensive to install but support shorter dwell times.
How can facilities managers ensure they’re compliant?
The good news? Facilities managers don’t need to navigate this complex landscape alone. Experienced partners can help design infrastructure that meets your operational requirements while identifying opportunities to open access to the public, generating income during periods of low internal usage.
As a CPO, your partner assumes full responsibility for ensuring your infrastructure meets stringent service level agreements (SLAs) and complies with the latest government regulations, removing this burden from your facilities team.
EV charging partners should take a proactive approach as they understand these chargers are mission-critical assets. For example, offering scheduled routine inspections outside peak hours to detect damage or wear before it causes downtime. This includes mandatory twice-yearly checks of Residual Current Devices (RCDs) on workplace chargers.
Thanks to high connectivity, some partners can also monitor everything remotely, with back-office systems that enable them to identify and resolve faults, deploy firmware updates, and dispatch engineers when necessary. This reduces the operational burden on facilities managers, who already balance building maintenance, energy efficiency, compliance requirements, and occupant satisfaction.
Turning regulations into opportunities
As facilities managers look to modernise their estates and meet sustainability targets, EV charging infrastructure represents both a compliance challenge and a potential revenue source. By working with knowledgeable partners who understand the regulatory landscape, you can transform these requirements into opportunities that enhance your property’s value while supporting your organisation’s sustainability goals.
