You’ve Got the Funding for your EV Chargers, But Have You Considered the Electrical Requirements?
A Critical Guide to EV Charging Infrastructure for NHS Trusts
Congratulations – your NHS Trust has secured funding from the NHS ChargePoint Accelerator Scheme. With £8 million distributed across 62 NHS Trusts and around 224 sites, the government’s commitment to fleet electrification is clear.
But before you start planning where to position your new charging points, there are some practicalities to consider.
The NHS Fleet Revolution is Here
The numbers don’t lie about where the industry is heading:
- Electric vehicles now account for nearly 20% of new car sales in the UK
- 52% of UK drivers plan to make their next vehicle purchase an EV
- UK regulation will require 80% of new cars sold to be fully electric by 2030
- The NHS investment supports the government’s 10 Year Health Plan to deliver a more sustainable NHS while helping hospitals save millions on fuel and maintenance costs
But here’s what the funding announcements don’t tell you about the reality of implementation.
The practical considerations of installing EV chargers
1. Your electrical infrastructure may need an upgrade
Most NHS sites were built decades ago, long before anyone imagined a fleet of electric ambulances, patient transport vehicles, and staff cars all plugging in simultaneously.
What you need to consider:
- A typical ambulance requires 50-100kW of charging power
- Your current electrical capacity assessment might show you’re already at 80% utilisation
- Adding even 6 charging points could require an additional 100-200kW capacity
- Distribution Network Operator (DNO) upgrades can cost £50,000-£200,000+ per site
- Current wait times for DNO connections are stretching to 12-18 months
We’ve assessed NHS sites where the electrical upgrade costs exceeded the value of the charging equipment by 300%. The funding covers the chargers – it doesn’t cover rewiring half your site.
2. The “simple installation” myth
Bolt chargers to the wall, plug them in, job done.
The Reality:
- Underground services maps for older NHS sites are often incomplete or inaccurate
- Infection control requirements mean installation work may have to be done in phases
- Fire safety regulations in healthcare settings add complexity to cable routing
- 24/7 operational requirements mean installation windows are severely restricted
- Listed building constraints affect many older hospital sites
The impact: That 4-week installation timeline? At healthcare sites, we typically see 8-16 weeks, assuming no complications.
3. Operational demands vs. charging reality
NHS vehicles don’t operate like private cars. Ambulances need to be ready for emergency calls, patient transport runs scheduled routes, and shift patterns create charging demand peaks that coincide with grid stress periods.
Critical Considerations:
- Emergency Response: What happens when your rapid response vehicle is plugged in during a major incident?
- Shift Changeovers: 7am and 7pm charging demands will coincide with peak electricity tariff periods.
- Range Anxiety in Healthcare: A private car running low on charge is inconvenient; an ambulance running low on charge is potentially life-threatening.
- Load Balancing: Smart charging systems that reduce power during peak demand might conflict with operational requirements.
4. The Hidden Ongoing Costs
Your funding covers initial installation, but here’s what you’ll be paying for the next 10 years:
Annual operating costs per charging point:
- Maintenance contracts: £150-£400 (healthcare sites often fall into the higher bracket due to 24/7 requirements)
- Software licensing: £200-£500
- Electricity costs: With ambulance charging cycles, expect £2,000-£4,000 per charger annually
- Insurance additions: £300-£600 annually for the installation
- Compliance and safety testing: £500-£1,000 annually for healthcare environments
For a typical 10-charger NHS site, annual operating costs often hit £25,000-£40,000+. Factor this into your business case now, not after installation.
5. Technology Compatibility and Future-Proofing
NHS procurement processes often favour lowest initial cost, but in EV charging, the cheapest option today might be the most expensive tomorrow.
Critical Questions:
- Can your chosen charging system integrate with NHS fleet management software?
- Does it support the charging protocols needed for future electric ambulances?
- Can it handle load balancing across multiple high-power vehicle types?
- Will it cope with the move to 350kW+ ultra-rapid charging for emergency vehicles?
We’re seeing NHS sites having to replace charging infrastructure installed just 3 years ago because it can’t handle new vehicle requirements.
The questions your project board should be asking
Before you sign any contracts, ensure you can answer these:
- “What’s our total electrical capacity, and how much headroom do we actually have?”
- Have you commissioned a professional electrical assessment?
- Do you know your DNO’s current wait times and upgrade costs?
- “How will this affect our clinical operations?”
- Have you mapped charging demand against shift patterns?
- What’s the backup plan when charging infrastructure fails?
- “What’s our 10-year total cost of ownership?”
- Have you budgeted for ongoing maintenance, electricity, and system upgrades?
- Do you have approval for the annual operational costs?
- “Are we buying the right technology for NHS requirements?”
- Can the system handle emergency vehicle priority charging?
- Is it compatible with existing fleet management systems?
Getting It Right: The PSA Approach for NHS Trusts
Phase 1: Reality Assessment (4-6 weeks)
- Comprehensive electrical infrastructure audit
- Operational demand mapping against clinical requirements
- DNO pre-application discussions
- Total cost of ownership modelling over 10 years
Phase 2: Strategic Design (6-8 weeks)
- Future-proofed charging system selection
- Integration with existing NHS systems
- Emergency services priority protocols
- Phased installation planning to minimise operational disruption
Phase 3: Managed Implementation (8-16 weeks)
- Work around 24/7 operational requirements
- Infection control compliant installation practices
- Comprehensive staff training programmes
- Go-live support and monitoring
The Bottom Line for NHS Trusts
The trusts that will succeed are those who recognise that EV charging infrastructure in healthcare settings requires a fundamentally different approach from commercial or residential installations.
At PSA, we can guided NHS trusts through this transition, and we’ve seen the costly mistakes that happen when the unique challenges of healthcare environments aren’t properly addressed from day one.
An initial feasibility study will help you understand the answers to the above questions, get in touch to book a call with one of our experts to discuss in more detail.
For chat to one of our engineers about your requirements, get in touch.
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