So you think you want to be an EV installer…
You've probably heard the talk, every man and his gran is going on about going green and net zero. The government is pushing to take petrol and diesel cars off the roads and your mate's swanky new electric whip is looking more and more appealing.
Or perhaps it’s about cold hard cash.
Electric cars are part of a growing market and with that EV installs are set to boom. Perhaps you're looking to jump on board and ride that big money wave.
Whatever your reasons for wanting to get into EV installs, we’ve made it easy for you to find out more.
Here’s everything you need to know about becoming an electric vehicle charger installer.
Yes, there is a significant and growing demand for electric vehicle (EV) charger installations.
This is being driven by increasing consumer demand for EVs, which has risen to 54% in the UK. While in the US electric vehicle sales are now up to 9% of all car sales in the country.
Much of this growth comes from government support that is helping to ensure there is plenty of work in the install market.
With a £381 million fund designed to support the installation of tens of thousands of new chargers and public sector investment led by ChargeUK aiming to double the UK’s charging network, you won’t be short of work.
All of this means that a whole lot of chargers are going to need to be installed, providing you with plenty of work to keep you busy - and this doesn’t even account for the home installation market.
So now you know there’s plenty of demand, you probably want to know how much you stand to make from this line of work.
EV charger installers typically earn an average of £35,000 per year in the UK and $40,000 in the US. This works out at around £17 an hour and $19 an hour respectively.
If you start your own EV install business, you can expect your earnings to go up significantly, with salaries as high as £50k a year or more or $80k in the US. Although total earrings could be even more depending on how successful your business is.
If you want to start installing EV chargers you first need to qualify as an electrician.
Although you can technically perform your own EV charger install at home (if it is at your own property, for your use) you would still need to get this signed off by your local building control or by a registered electrician.
If you want to perform electrical installs for the general public you will need the following:
The non-essential but recommended qualifications are the following:
The OZEV grant is a financial grant aimed at helping individuals and businesses to install electric charging stations. Depending on whether you are an individual, business or landlord there are slightly different grants available.
These are:
With the flat owners or renters grant you can gain up to £350 off the cost of installation.
You can find more information about these grants on the UK Gov site.
To become an OZEV installer you first need to become a professionally accredited electrician by completing a suitable qualification. You also need to be accredited by a recognised industry body, such as the NICEIC, ELECSA, or another competent persons scheme.
It is also required that you have public liability insurance.
Once you have these qualifications you can then undertake specific training for EV charging installations.
Here are some options that would give you the necessary qualification:
CEF EV Charging Course
Logic4Training EV Charging Point Installation Course
Skills Training Group Electric Vehicle Charging Installer Course
City & Guilds Level 3 Award In Domestic Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Installation
Access Training Electric Vehicle Charger Installation Course
GTEC EV Charging Course
Once qualified you need to apply to the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles to become certified. You can do this from the OZEV website. You will be required to fill out a form and provide evidence of the necessary qualifications stated above.
The process for your clients to claim the grant varies slightly depending on whether you are working on a flat or rented property or if you’re installing for a business or landlord.
You can find these steps on the gov website but we have included them here for reference.
Chargepoint grant for renters and flat owners
Chargepoint and infrastructure grant for business staff and fleet car parks and landlords
Typically, training to become an EV installer takes 1 to 2 days, however, training times may vary depending on what course you choose to take.
Check to see what modules are covered, these can give you a good indicator of how long the course will take.
If you do decide to get into the EV install business then there are a few different types of charger you will be required to fit. These can essentially be separated into home chargers or public chargers.
Home Chargers: These are typically slow to fast chargers (up to 22 kW). The installation requires a suitable electrical connection and sometimes an upgrade to the home's electrical system. A dedicated circuit is often recommended for safety and efficiency.
Public Chargers: Ranging from fast to ultra-rapid chargers. These require more extensive infrastructure, like high-capacity power connections, and are often managed by specialist companies. Locations are strategically chosen for accessibility and demand.
When working on public high kW chargers, these installs will usually take longer as they require more updates to existing infrastructure. This might include upgrades to the existing electrical system.
Public charging points are often delivered on mass, meaning you may be working with a team of electricians or as part of a bigger organisation, whereas domestic chargers can be done on your own (assuming you are fully qualified).
Once you are qualified and have some experience fitting EV chargers you may be ready to expand your operation into a broader business.
To do this you should follow the same process for starting and growing any electrical company. We cover how to do this in our article on how to start an electrical business.
However, there are a couple of extra details to bear in mind when growing your business.
One of the first questions you may have when hiring for an EV install business is “Do I need to hire registered OZEV installers to be able to fit EV chargers?”
The short answer is no, all your technicians do not need to be OZEV qualified to fit chargers that qualify for the grant.
This is because as a qualified installer, you can oversee and sign off any installation that your employees complete, allowing you to confirm it meets the necessary standards and therefore be accepted for the grant.
This means as your business grows you only need enough OZEV-qualified electricians to sign off the work for the rest of your team. As you start you should be able to do this on your own, but as your team grows you will at some point need to train up some of your workforce.
Before you think about expanding you need to ensure that there will be suitable work for you to do.
It’s a good idea to check what local and regional developments are planned when it comes to installs and if you are likely to win that work. This kind of security is necessary to build and grow your company sustainably.
With the UK aiming to roll out at least 6000 high-powered charging points across the country and the US targeting 500,000 public chargers by 2030, there has never been a better time to join the EV charger installation market.
Whether you're an experienced electrician looking to diversify your workstream or someone who wants to specialise in an exciting new industry, the opportunity to make more money and future-proof your work is one to embrace.
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