Allstar has partnered with First Charge, First Bus’s commercial electric vehicle charging service, to expand depot charging access for electric vans and HGVs across 10 UK locations.
This collaboration aims to provide faster, more accessible, and cost-effective charging solutions tailored for larger commercial electric vehicles, addressing key infrastructure barriers in the UK market.
Depot charging for commercial fleets: The partnership offers depot charging speeds up to 360kW, larger bays suitable for e-vans and eHGVs, and negotiated pricing to reduce vehicle downtime and operational costs for eligible Allstar customers*.
Integrated payment and reporting: Eligible Allstar customers can use integrated payment and reporting solutions through Allstar, simplifying EV charging management across various environments including public, home, near-home, and depot charging.
Industry perspectives on EV infrastructure: The Road Haulage Association highlights depot and public charging infrastructure as barriers to electric vehicle adoption in 2025, while leaders from Allstar and First Charge emphasise the importance of scalable, inclusive high-capacity charging networks for successful net zero transitions.
We have partnered with First Charge, to expand our EV charging payment network by leveraging First Charge’s high-volume depot charging.
Designed to meet the needs of fleets operating larger electric vehicles, such as vans and HGVs, the new sites offer fast, more accessible and low-cost charging and builds on our growing solution base, to make electric vehicle charging payments as simple and convenient as possible.
The UK’s charging infrastructure is notably improving as adoption grows, however for electric HGVs and vans it has long been clear that more work is needed to unlock the same growth that the electric car market is experiencing. The Road Haulage Association (RHA) cites a lack of depot charging infrastructure and a lack of public charging infrastructure as some of the primary barriers that are preventing operators from investing in these vehicles in 2025.
Fleet managers are increasingly looking for charging infrastructure that fits the demands of commercial operations, especially for larger vehicles that can be difficult to charge at typical chargers on the public network.
The addition of depot charging complements Allstar’s wider EV strategy, offering customers a fully integrated charging payment network that spans public, home, near-home and now depot charging at First Charge’s charge points. With over 76,000 chargers across more than 28,000 locations, the Allstar network is already one of the UK’s largest and fastest electric charging payment networks for businesses and continues to grow.
Tom Rowlands, Managing Director, Global EV Solutions at Corpay including UK brand, Allstar said: “Central to a successful transition to net zero is infrastructure that can make charging an electric vehicle as convenient and as quick as possible. However, this demands an approach that is far from one size fits all. That’s why we’ve focussed on bringing different charging environments to our customers, from near home charging to depots, for the smallest cars to the largest HGVs, and a single payment card that does it all.
“Installing a network of new chargers has been a significant project that is still ongoing, but it doesn’t yet keep up with the demands and changing needs of drivers. This is why it’s critical to make use of every charging point the country has to offer and partnering with First Charge was the natural fit.”
Faizan Ahmad, Decarbonisation Director at First Bus, said: “Through First Charge, we are unlocking the potential of our depot charging infrastructure for use beyond our own bus charging needs, helping more fleets access ultra-rapid charging to make the switch to zero-emission vehicles.
“Allstar are renowned for their approach to making EV infrastructure and charging accessible for all. This collaboration represents an important step toward a more inclusive and scalable charging network across the UK.”
To find out more about Allstar Chargepass®, the business payment solution that does it all, click here.
*Eligibility is agreed with First Bus
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