Electric vehicles are expected to account for more than 30% of new car sales in the U.K. by the end of 2025. As EV sales rise, dealerships face a tough question: How do you power a growing fleet of chargers without breaking the grid or the budget?
For many dealerships, especially those located in suburban or semi-rural areas, local grid capacity is already insufficient to support sustained high-speed EV charging. Even in urban markets, the permitting and upgrade timelines for increasing grid capacity can stretch years. One dealership in Europe faced a projected £500,000 ($667,000) grid upgrade cost just to enable basic EV charging capacity, plus additional delays due to planning permissions.
With the electric grid already under strain, energy prices can spike unexpectedly and traditional grid upgrades can take years to complete. But U.K. auto dealers can’t afford to wait for better charging infrastructure.
BESS Is Charging Infrastructure
Dealers shouldn’t always assume that the grid will scale with them. Infrastructure upgrades often require regulatory approvals, lengthy construction timelines and high upfront costs. These costs can quickly become prohibitive, especially when timelines stretch over years.
Enter: on-site battery energy storage systems (BESS). These systems can be deployed faster than grid upgrades, sometimes in a matter of months, and can be paired with solar to generate electricity that powers EV charging stations. In some cases, dealerships have installed infrastructure capable of charging more than a dozen EVs in parallel.
Dealerships across the country are already seeing the benefits. An England-based dealer experienced an 80% reduction in electricity costs. One in Ireland has seen EV charging revenues balloon by 75%. One in Scotland benefited from a 10% higher net present value (NPV) with BESS compared to a traditional grid upgrade.
Another luxury dealership in Europe saw £69,000 ($92,000) in annual energy savings by switching to a battery-first charging strategy. Instead of spending half a million pounds on grid upgrades, they now rapidly charge up to 15 vehicles at a time while generating new income from selling unused energy back to the grid.
These aren’t one-off successes. They’re the result of a comprehensive energy management and cost strategy that reins in unnecessary costs while providing a predictable source of power.
From Backup to Advantage
Battery energy storage is more than simply backup power. It provides many benefits for auto dealerships:
- Operational continuity: If the grid goes down, the showroom stays lit, the chargers stay online and customers stay happy.
- Grid independence: BESS mitigates exposure to voltage dips and power outages, especially in rural or under-resourced areas.
- EV scalability: As more chargers are installed, BESS helps meet demand without overloading the existing infrastructure.
For many dealerships, backup power is just the start. The real value lies in a holistic energy strategy. By charging batteries at night during off-peak hours and discharging during expensive peak periods, dealers can protect gross margins even as energy prices fluctuate. In some cases, this strategy has produced a 10% higher net present value compared to traditional grid upgrades.
Flexible Financing Makes It Even Easier
Today, BESS deployments are beginning to take advantage of as-a-service financing models. That means no capital outlay, just a monthly fee that covers installation, maintenance and monitoring.
Just as dealers have embraced subscription-based models for software and fleet services, energy storage can now be accessed through predictable monthly payments. This lowers the barrier to entry and makes it easier for smaller or family-owned dealerships to compete with national chains.
In many cases, dealers can also sell unused energy back to the grid, creating a new revenue stream and accelerating payback. These service-based approaches are proving more financially attractive than waiting years (or longer) for a grid connection that may never be fit for purpose.
Stay Ahead in the EV Race
In the EV-first era, power is the new priority. OEMs, fleets and consumers are all raising their expectations around charging availability and reliability. Dealerships that take control of their energy strategy now will not only stay operational but also stand out from competitors.
Grid delays, energy volatility and infrastructure strain aren’t going away. But dealerships that act now with scalable, flexible energy strategies will be in the best position to lead the market, not chase it.
