Depot charging planner
Estimate your depot AC charging requirements from fleet size, daily mileage and the overnight charging window. Explore whether 7 kW AC chargers suit your inputs, or whether your fleet needs a different setup.
Your depot
Recommended depot setup
8 × 7 kW AC chargers
One per van, with ~56 kW peak instantaneous draw.
Daily energy demand
288 kWh
36.0 kWh per van
Annual energy
72 MWh
250 operating days assumed
Annual energy cost
£20,183
at 28p/kWh depot tariff
Charger spec options
| Charger | Energy in 10h | Fits your routes? |
|---|---|---|
| 7 kW AC (single phase) | 70 kWh | Yes |
| 11 kW AC (three phase) | 110 kWh | Yes |
| 22 kW AC (three phase) | 220 kWh | Yes |
| 50 kW DC rapid | Top-up only | Use for shift changes / mid-day if AC cannot fit overnight |
Notes for your install
- Standard 7 kW AC chargers handle your routes overnight. Cheapest install, easiest DNO connection. Suitable for the majority of small fleets on urban duty cycles.
- Peak draw of ~56 kW is at the edge of a typical commercial supply. Check your incoming supply (look for "kVA" on the supply meter) before committing.
- Load balancing across chargers can significantly cut peak draw and avoid an expensive DNO upgrade. Worth specifying in the install RFP.
How this works
Daily energy demand per van = daily km × consumption. We then check whether each AC charger spec (7/11/22 kW) can deliver that energy in your stated overnight window.
If no AC spec fits, you need to either lengthen the overnight window, split shifts to alternate charging, or add DC fast chargers for mid-day top-ups.
Peak instantaneous power is one charger × number of vans. Above ~50 kW you should expect to verify your incoming supply (kVA) with the DNO; above ~100 kW expect a supply upgrade. The new Depot Charging Scheme can cover up to 70% of civils costs.
This is a planning sanity-check, not an electrical engineering tool. A qualified installer will model load balancing, simultaneous use factors and DNO connection costs before quoting.