The UK’s largest bus and coach operator, Stagecoach, has launched a shared charging scheme aimed at helping other companies decarbonize their fleets. The new service, called Chargd, allows third-party operators to use Stagecoach’s depot charging infrastructure throughout the day, offering a reliable alternative to the public network.
Seven Stagecoach depots are currently offering the Chargd proposition, each equipped with chargers that deliver a minimum power of 150kW. Locations at launch include Cambridge, Inverness, Oxford, Kilmarnock, London (Ash Grove), Stockton and Dover. Eight more sites in Perth, Aberdeen, Lea Interchange and Bromley in London, Nuneaton, Rugby, Sunderland and Chesterfield are scheduled to follow by the end of the year.
Stagecoach has invested over £500 million in electric vehicles and charging infrastructure since 2021 and removed more than 50,000 tonnes of carbon emissions from its own operations over the past eight years. The operator is working toward a zero-tailpipe bus fleet by 2035, with more than 14% of its 8,400-strong fleet now electric.
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Mike Smith, business development director at Stagecoach, explains that commercial-grade equipment is being used at the sites. “Because these are being used for buses, we are using commercial-grade equipment,” Smith says. “We want to share that capacity responsibly with other commercial fleets and help them on their decarbonisation journey.”
Smith notes that infrastructure is expensive and that companies sometimes struggle to find suitable spaces for large vehicles. “There are lots of chargers, but they are not built for large fleets, specifically not for large vehicles, so HGVs, lorries or even long wheelbase vans struggle to find places that fit them,” he adds. Availability is also a concern, as cable thefts or vandalism can make public chargers unreliable.
Chargd is targeting HGV and van operators in particular. The depots are large sites with plenty of space to manoeuvre vehicles and are generally located in industrial estates with good access. LCV fleets will also benefit from the private sites, which offer facilities such as toilets and cafes. “The feedback we have from commercial fleets is that they want something that is reliable and bespoke, and that’s where Chargd was born from,” Smith says.
This expansion into shared infrastructure reflects a broader shift in the commercial transport sector. While many companies have the capital to install charging points at their own premises, the reality of logistics often means vehicles are not present at those locations when they need to charge. This gap creates a reliance on the public network, which is frequently crowded or incompatible with larger vehicles. By opening depot access, Stagecoach attempts to address these operational inconsistencies without requiring clients to overhaul their entire logistics planning.
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Stagecoach has partnered with VEV to build the high-powered DC charging infrastructure and install its VEV-IQ digital platform. This software monitors power usage and optimizes charging schedules. It will provide fleets with detailed reports of charging sessions and enable invoicing. The operator is also working with fuel card providers, including Paua, to embed their payment solutions into the system.
Emma Durham, energy product manager at VEV, says the company has validated charging firmware so that authentication works with the partners. “We’ve also built flexibility into how those partners can access the network as well,” Durham says. “They can either be managed directly through Stagecoach’s own website, or access it through their own platform as well. The idea is that partner fleets are able to access their own depots or public charging infrastructure as well, and the aim is to make that as seamless and easy as possible.”
For businesses interested in the service, Stagecoach conducts an initial compatibility check. If approved, a local induction is held with the company’s fleet manager to review site rules. “It’s a relatively simple process to get that activation and go live stage, and from that point they can come in and charge straightaway,” Smith says.
