OZEV Workplace Charging Scheme for farm EV chargers

The OZEV (Office for Zero Emission Vehicles) Workplace Charging Scheme provides UK businesses with substantial grant funding for installing EV chargers at their premises. For UK farms electrifying ATVs, light pickups, and increasingly tractors, the WCS grant materially reduces capex for the charging infrastructure that pairs with rooftop solar PV.

What the Workplace Charging Scheme covers

The WCS grant covers up to 75% of the purchase and installation cost of EV chargers at workplaces, capped at £350 per socket. Each business can claim up to 40 sockets in total. Eligible installations: standard workplace chargers (typically 7-22 kW AC); commercial DC fast chargers (50 kW+); compatible with most EV models including farm-relevant vehicles (Polaris Ranger EV, John Deere TE Gator, Ford E-Transit, Maxus eDeliver, Volkswagen ID Buzz, emerging electric tractors).

Eligibility for UK farms

UK farms are generally eligible for WCS as commercial premises. Requirements: business is VAT-registered or has CT or SA business status; chargers are installed at the business premises (the farm); chargers are accessible to staff and visitors during working hours; chargers are installed by an OZEV-authorised installer (we are OZEV-authorised); installation completes within the application’s approval window.

Not eligible: domestic charging at a farm dwelling (use the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme — EVHS — instead); charging for vehicles outside of business use.

How the grant integrates with farm solar

The most powerful farm decarbonisation stack in 2026: rooftop solar PV + battery storage + workplace EV chargers — all eligible for various combinations of AIA (PV and battery), WCS grant (chargers), and SEG (export income on surplus). For a typical multi-element farm install:

• 200 kW solar PV: £170,000 capex, 100% AIA delivering ~£42,500 year-one tax saving
• 100 kWh battery: £55,000 capex, 100% AIA delivering ~£13,750 year-one tax saving
• 4-socket workplace charging (22 kW × 4 sockets): £14,000 capex, WCS grant £1,400 (75% of £350 × 4 sockets)
• Combined: £239,000 capex; £57,650 of year-one tax/grant relief; net effective cost £181,350

Application process

Application is via the OZEV portal: ozev.uk/wcs (this is the indicative URL — actual portal is gov.uk/workplace-charging-scheme). Process: business registers for WCS voucher; OZEV approves typically within 4 weeks; voucher valid for 6 months from issue; installation completed within voucher validity period; installer claims grant directly from OZEV; balance invoiced to farm.

We handle the WCS application as standard scope on any farm install including EV charging. The grant is paid directly to the installer, reducing the invoice presented to the farm.

Future-proofing for fleet electrification

For most UK farms in 2026, fleet electrification is 3-5 years away from full deployment. Tractor electrification specifically is at commercial trial stage. The right approach: install charging infrastructure now (capacity headroom for future expansion); apply for WCS grants on the chargers; use the solar PV for current ATV/Gator/light-pickup charging; expand as more vehicles electrify.

We recommend specifying chargers slightly above current need (e.g., 22 kW chargers even for ATV/Gator-only fleet today) to provide headroom for tractor electrification by late-decade.