Cenex, in partnership with Energy Saving Trust, has been selected to assist in delivering the UK Government’s £30 million Depot Charging Scheme (DCS).
This investment, which was announced as part of a a £63 million package to accelerate Britain’s EV revolution, is expected to support the installation of over 3,000 van and 200 HGV chargepoints, helping reduce business costs, boost operational efficiency, and accelerate the adoption of zero emission vehicles.
Funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) and administered by the Government Grants Management Service (GGMS), this scheme will provide targeted financial support to assist businesses and local authorities in installing the necessary infrastructure for charging zero emission heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), vans, and coaches.
Commercial transport accounts for more than a third of domestic transport CO₂ emissions, making the electrification of depots crucial for decarbonising the UK’s logistics and coach travel sectors. By promoting the installation of charging infrastructure, the government intends to instil confidence in the logistics sector and help British businesses transition to zero emission operations.
Through this scheme, Cenex and Energy Saving Trust will collaborate to provide specialised technical support to both grant applicants and the grant administrators. This support includes:
- Designing assessment frameworks for technical and cost-related criteria
- Developing evidence-based cost benchmarks for depot charging installations
- Providing tailored guidance to applicants on infrastructure planning, procurement and deployment
- Supporting GGMS with expert input during application reviews and appeals
Cenex and Energy Saving Trust bring 20 years of specialised expertise in the zero emission commercial vehicle sector, delivering trusted and evidence-based analysis. With extensive experience in strategic planning for fleet transition and techno-economic assessments, Cenex collaborates closely with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), charge point providers, and distribution network operators (DNOs). This collaboration ensures a thorough and robust approach to establishing an evidence-based cost benchmark.
The consortium’s combined experience of over 50 years in grant administration and transport decarbonisation provides the deep, hands-on knowledge of EVs and electric vehicle infrastructure (EVI) that is essential for the project’s success. The consortium, consisting of Cenex and Energy Saving Trust, aims to complete the overall project by the end of March 2026.
The Depot Charging Scheme grant is scheduled to open on 16 July 2025 and will be available to HGV, van, and coach fleet operators throughout the UK. Eligible businesses will have the opportunity to claim reimbursement of up to 75% of the costs associated with charger procurement and installation, with a cap of £1 million per applicant applicable to all sites. The grant will remain available until the allocated funding has been exhausted or until 28 November 2025, whichever occurs first.
Chris Rimmer, Head of Department, Policy, Strategy and Implementation, Cenex said:
“We are delighted to be supporting this scheme with expert input from the Cenex and Energy Saving Trust. Facilitating the deployment of quality infrastructure into depots will be a crucial step in accelerating the electrification of vans, coaches and HGVs, which are the next big challenge for transport decarbonisation”
Nick Harvey, Senior Programme Manager at Energy Saving Trust, said:
“For many years, Energy Saving Trust has been a trusted source of expert advice and support to UK fleets on the road to decarbonisation. This new scheme is vital, as it directly addresses one of the main barriers:: the cost of installing charging infrastructure. We’re proud to partner with Cenex to provide the expert guidance businesses need to reduce their emissions and lower running costs by making a confident switch to electric vehicles.”
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