Depot Rapid DC Charging Installers UK

Depot rapid DC charging is the deep end of commercial EV: 50–150 kW per bay, near-certain DNO reinforcement, transformer-class civils and an operating envelope where uptime is the business. The 1132 installers on this page are all OZEV-authorised for commercial work — but OZEV does not publish a rapid-DC sub-tag, so ask each shortlisted installer specifically for a recent rapid-DC depot reference of similar power and socket count.

Typical depot rapid scope

• 50 kW DC dual-gun units — minimum for HGV and coach duty cycles where a one-hour turn-around matters. Hardware around £10,000–£24,000 per unit; install £2,000–£5,000; civils £2,000–£6,000.
• 150 kW+ ultra-rapid units — for back-to-back HGV charging or partner-shared sites. Hardware £30,000–£55,000 per unit; civils and HV switchgear push all-in past £35,000 per unit and frequently to £80,000+.
• HV connections and transformer compounds — anything over ~200 kW of installed capacity usually triggers an HV (11 kV) supply, a new transformer pad, switchgear and a metered substation arrangement.

Grants for depot rapid sites

• Depot Charging Scheme — 70% of chargepoint and civil costs (trenching, cabling, electrical upgrades) up to £1m per organisation. First application window: 25 March – 30 June 2026. Works to be completed by 31 March 2027. Aimed at fleets adopting zero-emission HGVs, vans and coaches. Does NOT fund the vehicles, and does NOT fund the DNO's own network reinforcement (which Ofgem's 2023 Access SCR rules largely socialise across all users).
• Workplace Charging Scheme — applies only to off-street staff/fleet parking sockets, not to public-access DC rapid bays. On a mixed site, the AC workplace sockets can claim WCS and the rapid DC bays sit under the Depot Charging Scheme separately.

The DNO problem is the project

For depot rapid projects, the DNO connection scope is the single biggest cost and lead-time risk. Under Ofgem's Access SCR rules (April 2023), the DNO absorbs the deep network reinforcement cost, but the customer pays for the connection works and the assets up to the meter. A documented case (Fleet News) saw a £640k connection drop to ~£130k under the new rules — but many quotes do not yet reflect this. A credible depot installer scopes the DNO position before quoting hardware.

Questions to ask every depot rapid installer

• Have you commissioned a rapid DC depot of this power level before? Show me a redacted recent connection offer letter for a comparable site.
• Is the DNO budget estimate in the quote as a separate line, with the assumption stated, or excluded?
• Are you proposing an Independent Connection Provider (ICP) for the contestable works, and why or why not?
• Is the Depot Charging Scheme 70% line shown explicitly on the quote?
• What is the SLA on a faulty rapid unit, and what uptime do you contract to?

For worked depot numbers and the DNO sub-text, see the commercial EV charger installation costs guide.