Openreach has teamed up with EV payment specialist Allstar to expand home, public and shared depot charging for its 7,000-strong electric van fleet.

Its engineers often carry tools and equipment that add significant weight and affect real-world range. With around one in three unable to charge a van at home, the telecoms giant is expanding access to public and shared depot charging across the UK.

For drivers able to charge at home, Allstar Homecharge pays work-related home charging costs directly to drivers’ energy suppliers, so engineers do not pay upfront or claim expenses. Away from home, Allstar and Openreach have focused public charging through fewer strategic charge point operators, while Allstar Co-Pilot helps engineers find approved charging locations.

The partnership is also developing access to commercial and shared depot charging for engineers who need additional options during the working day. Through partners including First Charge and Voltempo, the aim is to give engineers access to infrastructure better suited to commercial vehicles, including larger bays, high-speed charging and bookable shared depot charging that they can pay for using existing EV charge cards, including Allstar Chargepass.

The package is backed by EV cards, payment solutions and tools from Allstar to ensure Openreach’s drivers can charge where and when they need to.

Judy O’Keefe, director of fleet at Openreach, said: “Our engineers rely on their vans every day to keep people and businesses connected. With more than 7,000 electric vans already on the road, and plans to move most of our fleet to zero emissions by 2031, we need charging to be simple and safe for our engineers.

“There’s no single charging solution that works for everyone. That’s why we’ve invested in a flexible mix of home, public and depot charging, working with different partners to give our engineers the options they need. Allstar is helping us simplify how we manage and pay for it all.”

Tom Rowlands, managing director of global EV solutions at Allstar parent company Corpay, added: “Electrifying a fleet of this scale isn’t simply about putting more electric vehicles on the road. Drivers need charging that works around their jobs and for a nationwide engineering workforce there can’t be an assumption that everyone can simply plug in at home.

“That’s why our work with Openreach looks across the charging mix. Home charging remains important where it’s possible, but engineers also need reliable public charging and increasingly other options designed around working commercial vehicles. The strength of the partnership is that we can keep developing that mix as the fleet grows and the needs of its engineers evolve.”

Allstar is also participating in the recently announced year-long collaboration between Openreach and The EV Café, which will share insights from Openreach’s fleet electrification journey alongside organisations from across the wider EV ecosystem.

The Allstar and Openreach partnership will continue to evolve as the transition progresses, with workplace charging and greater access to semi-private charging among the areas being developed.