A practical, low-disruption approach for hospital car parks as staff, fleet and visitor EV adoption increases
Across the NHS, estates teams are being asked the same question:
How do we expand EV charging capacity without digging up half the car park?
Fleet electrification is accelerating. Staff are switching to EVs. Visitors and patients are increasingly arriving in electric vehicles too.
But hospital estates face real constraints:
• Limited parking capacity
• Disruptive civils work
• Grid upgrade uncertainty
• Tight capital budgets
Against that backdrop, many estates teams are exploring a practical idea:
Could existing lighting columns support EV charging?
Hospital car parks already contain electrical infrastructure in the form of lighting columns. These assets are located exactly where vehicles dwell for long periods, and in many cases the electrical circuits supplying them can support lower-power charging with minimal disruption.
It’s not a silver bullet, but on-column charging can provide a useful way to add EV charging capacity quickly, particularly for staff and fleet vehicles with predictable dwell times.
Below is a practical guide for NHS estates teams considering lamppost charging as part of a wider EV infrastructure strategy.
Why lamppost charging is being explored on NHS estates
One of the biggest barriers to expanding EV charging on hospital sites is disruption.
Traditional charging infrastructure often requires trenching across busy car parks, installing new feeder pillars and upgrading local electrical supplies. For operational hospitals, this can mean closing parking areas, disrupting patient access, and extending project timelines.
Using existing lighting columns changes that equation.
Lighting circuits already provide electrical supply in locations where vehicles are parked for hours at a time. When suitable columns and circuits are identified, on-column charging can often be deployed with significantly less disruption than standalone installations.
This makes it particularly well suited for pilot schemes or early-stage capacity expansion.
1. Technical feasibility: power, circuits and load management
The first step is understanding what the existing electrical infrastructure can support.
In many cases, lighting circuits can accommodate low-power AC charging, typically in the region of 3.6 kW to 7 kW, depending on circuit capacity and network design.
Key checks include:
Supply configuration
Lighting columns are normally supplied via single-phase circuits. Estates teams should also assess whether nearby buildings provide access to three-phase power where higher capacity charging may be required.
Available electrical capacity
Dynamic load management may be required to ensure EV charging does not interfere with lighting performance.
Cable routing and isolation
Installation may require column rewiring, isolators, or fused spurs depending on the existing electrical arrangement.
Day versus night demand
Charging demand patterns should be modelled alongside lighting load, particularly overnight when EV demand may be highest while lighting is operational.
For hospital environments, this model often works well because staff vehicles typically remain parked for entire shifts, allowing meaningful energy transfer even at lower charging speeds.
2. Compliance and safety considerations
Hospital estates demand high levels of safety, resilience and compliance. Any EV charging deployment must align with relevant electrical and infrastructure standards.
Key areas to assess include:
BS 7671 and the IET Code of Practice for EV Charging
Ensuring appropriate protection devices, bonding and isolation arrangements.
Earthing strategy
Particularly confirmation of PME arrangements and O-PEN protection where required.
Column structural integrity
Existing columns must be assessed to ensure they can safely support additional equipment and cabling.
Ingress and impact protection
Equipment should meet appropriate IP and IK ratings suitable for high-use public environments.
Bay management and signage
Clear marking of EV bays and appropriate wayfinding to support safe and effective use.
The good news is that guidance and equipment options for on-column charging have matured significantly in recent years, making the approach increasingly viable for public-sector estates.
3. Understanding hospital charging behaviour
Unlike retail destinations, hospital sites serve several overlapping user groups.
Each has different charging requirements.
Staff vehicles
Typically parked for full shifts, making them well suited to lower-power AC charging.
Fleet vehicles
Scheduled use allows charging to be aligned with off-peak energy tariffs and operational cycles.
Patients and visitors
Dwell times vary, and availability may be more limited, but charging can still support longer appointments or visiting hours.
Because of these usage patterns, lower-power charging infrastructure can often deliver meaningful capacity across a hospital estate.
4. Funding and commercial considerations
As with any infrastructure project, estates teams need to balance installation cost with operational value.
Key considerations include:
Procurement model
Capital purchase, leasing models, or hybrid delivery approaches.
Grant funding
Public-sector EV charging grants and funding schemes should be assessed early in project planning.
Total cost of ownership
Including hardware, installation, grid upgrades, software platforms and ongoing maintenance.
Pilot deployment
Lamppost charging can be particularly useful for pilot projects, allowing organisations to trial EV charging with lower upfront disruption and infrastructure cost.
5. Parking strategy and patient experience
Hospital car parks are an integral part of the patient journey. Charging infrastructure must therefore be introduced carefully.
Considerations include:
Zoning of charging locations
Staff parking areas are often the best starting point for early deployment.
Protection of priority parking
Blue badge bays, drop-off areas and critical access routes should remain unaffected.
Parking capacity
Where EV bays reduce general parking availability, communication and signage should be clear.
User communication
Tariffs, charging rules and access policies should be easy to understand for all users.
6. Data, monitoring and operational management
Successful EV charging deployments rely on good operational visibility.
Important considerations include:
Open charging platforms
OCPP-compliant systems allow flexibility in selecting and changing back-office providers.
Utilisation monitoring
Understanding how chargers are used helps inform future infrastructure expansion.
Tariffs and access rules
Different user groups may require different charging access policies.
Sustainability reporting
Charging data can support organisational carbon reporting and Scope 2 or Scope 3 tracking.
Why a mixed-speed charging strategy works best for NHS estates
EV charging on hospital sites is rarely a case of choosing between AC or DC charging.
In practice, the most effective approach is usually a mix of charging speeds deployed in the right locations.
Low and medium-speed AC charging (3.6–22 kW)
Ideal for:
• Staff vehicles parked for full shifts
• Fleet vehicles with predictable schedules
• Maximising the number of chargepoints per available grid capacity
Benefits include lower installation cost, easier load balancing, and reduced impact on the electrical network.
Rapid and ultra-rapid DC charging (50 kW+)
Reserved for:
• Time-critical fleet use
• Urgent operational requirements
• Targeted public access locations
Rapid charging provides flexibility where fast energy transfer is essential, but it typically requires greater grid capacity and higher installation cost.
The most effective hospital EV strategies therefore combine widespread AC charging with targeted DC chargers where speed matters most.
Why lamppost charging can help unlock early capacity
That original customer question captures the opportunity well.
Hospital car parks already contain lighting columns located on known electrical circuits and positioned exactly where vehicles are parked.
Lamppost charging is not a universal solution, but it can be a practical, low-disruption way to add dependable charging capacity, particularly for users who remain on site for several hours.
For many estates teams, it provides a sensible starting point while wider EV infrastructure plans develop.
How evpzee supports EV charging on NHS estates
At evpzee, we work with estates and facilities teams to design EV charging infrastructure that fits the operational reality of complex sites such as hospitals.
Our approach focuses on:
• Safety and compliance
• Open, back-office-agnostic charging platforms
• Charging strategies aligned with real-world site behaviour
If you are exploring EV charging for a hospital site, we can help assess feasibility, review pilot designs and develop a charging strategy that supports long-term electrification.
NHS EV charging pilot checklist for hospital estates teams
Before launching a pilot project, consider the following:
• Survey lighting circuits and nearby electrical distribution
• Confirm column structural integrity and earthing strategy
• Identify priority user groups (staff, fleet, visitors)
• Deploy AC charging first for long-dwell parking areas
• Use targeted DC charging for time-critical requirements
• Select an open, OCPP-compatible back-office platform
• Implement clear bay management and signage
Where column spacing is wider than parking layouts, bollard chargers fed from the lighting network may also provide an effective secondary option.