IF your small business has gone green, and you have your company car drivers in an Electric Vehicle (EV) or Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHEV) then you could get yourself a free workplace charging unit.

Which could be real handy.

However, there is a catch. The offer is being made by Fleet Evolution, a car benefits and fleet management specialist, that focuses on SME business.

The company is offering a free workplace charge point to new customers to help increase uptake of ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs), including EVs and PHEVs since it was awarded Go Ultra Low company status.

Fleet Evolution says it will cover the cost of installation of a fast rate charge point and its ongoing provision.

The company is a specialist in the provision of salary sacrifice schemes – where employees opt out of a normal company car, which are particularly suited to ULEVs.

The offer is an extension of the company’s commitment to increasing uptake of low emission vehicles by providing free home charge points for all customers’ employees who have taken a ULEV through a Fleet Evolution salary sacrifice car scheme in the last 12 months.

Andrew Leech, managing director of Fleet Evolution, said:

“Salary sacrifice changes last year left a majority cars largely unchanged, although we have also seen significant government focus on ULEVs which are exempt from the changes.

“This type of vehicle will represent phenomenal value on schemes such as ours as the years go by, and manufacturers are now launching innovative, low emission products which totally reset expectations.

“As a consequence, we are seeing an increase in the number of ULEVs, including EVs and hybrids, on our salary sacrifice car fleet. But, as a Go Ultra Low company, we wanted to encourage even broader uptake of this type of vehicle.

“One of the barriers to increasing uptake is the issue of recharging while the vehicle is at the workplace, and we thought an obvious answer was to encourage the wider installation of workplace charge points.“

Fleet Evolution says it will provide fast rate charge points which operate at around 22kw per hour. After rapid chargers, fast chargers are the quickest way to charge an EV and are often found in car parks, supermarkets, or shopping centres.

All fast charge points are AC (Alternating Current) and are typically rated at either 7kW or 22 kW. Charging times vary on unit speed and the vehicle, but a 7kW charger will recharge a compatible EV in 3-5 hours, while a 22kW charger of the type being provided by Fleet Evolution takes around 1-2 hours.

Fleet Evolution says its smallest customer has just 17 employees while its largest has more than 2,500.