As fleets transition to electric, the operational challenge shifts from "finding fuel" to "managing energy." While depot and home charging form the backbone of a fleet’s energy mix, public charging remains essential for operational resilience.
However, the fragmented nature of the public charging network, comprising dozens of different operators, can create an administrative nightmare of expense claims, loose receipts, and multiple apps.
The solution is the EV charge card (or Electric Fuel Card). Far more than just a payment method, it is a critical tool for consolidating spend, ensuring VAT recovery, and maintaining operational control.
What is an EV charge card?
In the fleet context, an EV charge card functions exactly like a traditional fuel card, but for electrons. It allows drivers to access thousands of public charging points across different networks using a single RFID card or app, without needing to set up individual accounts or use personal credit cards.
For the driver, it removes the friction of downloading multiple apps and paying out-of-pocket. For the business, it consolidates thousands of micro-transactions into a single monthly invoice, protecting cash flow and simplifying the ledger.
Types of charging payment solutions
When procuring a payment solution, fleet managers typically encounter two approaches: the "siloed" consumer model and the "roaming" fleet model.
Individual Provider Apps (The Consumer Model) Historically, drivers had to download specific apps for each network (e.g., one for Shell, one for BP, one for Pod Point).
- The fleet risk: This approach is administratively unviable for fleets. It forces drivers to manage multiple logins and pay via personal expenses. The result is "receipt chaos",a flood of individual expense claims that wastes finance team hours and makes VAT recovery difficult or impossible.
Fleet roaming cards (The business model) A dedicated fleet charge card (such as the Rightcharge Electric Fuel Card) offers "roaming" access. This aggregates multiple networks (Shell, BP, Ionity, Osprey, etc.) under one umbrella.
- The fleet advantage: One card works across almost all major networks. The driver taps to pay, and the charging session is automatically logged to the company account. The fleet manager receives one consolidated HMRC-compliant invoice at the end of the month covering all vehicles
How to implement a fleet charge card strategy
Deploying charge cards is a straightforward operational upgrade that yields immediate administrative time savings.
Step 1: Procurement and assignment: Cards are ordered via a central fleet dashboard and assigned to specific drivers or vehicles. This links every kWh consumed to a specific cost centre, enabling precise Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) tracking.
Step 2: Activation and control: Upon receipt, cards are activated instantly. Fleet managers can set controls, such as restricting usage to business hours or specific geographical areas to prevent misuse.
Step 3: The Driver experience: The driver simply locates a compatible charger via the fleet app (which filters for speed and availability), plugs in, and taps their card to initiate the session. No personal banking details are exchanged, and no receipts need to be kept.
The Strategic Benefits for Fleets
Beyond simple convenience, the business case for a unified electric fuel card rests on four pillars: VAT recovery, security, data, and efficiency.
1. Operational efficiency: Time is money. A roaming card eliminates the downtime drivers spend downloading apps or registering accounts at the roadside. It ensures your assets are charged and back on the road as quickly as possible.
2. Control and security: Handing a driver a standard credit card carries risk. An EV charge card is specific to the vehicle and the fuel type. If a card is lost or a driver leaves the business, it can be remotely cancelled instantly via the fleet portal, preventing unauthorised spend.
3. VAT recovery (The 20% Saving): This is the single biggest financial factor. Recovering VAT on public charging is complex if drivers submit disparate receipts, many of which may not be VAT invoices. A fleet charge card provider issues a single, consolidated tax invoice for all charging events. This guarantees 100% VAT compliance and recovery, effectively reducing public charging costs by 20% immediately.
4. Data and ESG reporting: Modern fleet charge cards provide granular data. You can track Pence Per Mile (PPM), total kWh consumed, and carbon intensity. This data is invaluable for ESG reporting, allowing businesses to quantify their Scope 3 emissions reduction accurately.
Summary
The transition to electric mobility requires a shift in how businesses pay for energy. Relying on drivers to "pay and reclaim" is inefficient, risky, and costly due to missed VAT reclamation.
The EV charge card is the bridge between the fragmented public network and your company’s finance system. It turns a chaotic web of transactions into a streamlined, controllable, and tax-efficient process. By consolidating public charging into a single invoice, fleet leaders can focus less on administration and more on optimising their operations.