Openreach is set to gain access to a new network of secure, bookable EV charging points through a pioneering shared depot model launched by Voltempo, Corpay and Welch Group.

The partnership marks the first live deployment of Voltempo’s DepotCharge solution with Welch Group, which will help accelerate UK fleet electrification.

Delivered through Voltempo’s Depot Charging as a Service (D-CaaS) model and Corpay’s global fleet payment platform, the solution integrates charging infrastructure, energy procurement and fleet payments into a single, streamlined system.

Welch Group is using its depot infrastructure to support both its own operations and third-party fleets such as Openreach.

Under Voltempo’s DepotCharge model, the logistics group retains full operational control while enabling secure, bookable access to excess capacity, allowing it to improve utilisation and generate new revenue.

The approach shows how shared depot infrastructure can provide a commercially viable route to electrification across both smaller operators and large corporate fleets.

Openreach operates the UK’s second-largest commercial fleet and now has nearly 7,000 electric vehicles on the road.

Engineers at the digital network business already use a mix of home charging, public charging and chargers at operational sites, and this model adds further secure, bookable charging at operational sites for engineers who can’t charge at home.

Through Corpay’s global fleet payment platform, Openreach engineers can pay for charging using existing EV charge cards, including Allstar Chargepass, within a single, streamlined billing relationship.

Judy O’Keefe, director of fleet at Openreach, said partnerships such as this are essential as the business scales up its electric fleet to support the rollout of the UK’s full-fibre network.

“Moving a fleet of our size to electric is a big job, and it only works if charging is simple, safe and reliable for our engineers – the people out on the road every day building and maintaining that network.

“We’ve already installed more than 4,000 EV chargers at engineers’ homes and across our operational sites, but we know home charging isn’t an option for everyone. That’s why working closely with trusted charging and technology partners matters. It helps us give our engineers reliable access to charging at home, on the road and at our sites, so they can keep doing their job safely and deliver the service our customers rely on.”

This first deployment marks the beginning of a broader rollout of Voltempo DepotCharge sites across the UK, accelerating the transition to zero-emission freight.

Voltempo and Corpay will also look to procure energy on behalf of Welch Group using a bunkering-style approach that improves cost certainty, resilience and overall total cost of ownership. This includes access to renewable, traceable energy to support more accurate sustainability reporting, further strengthened at Welch Group by onsite solar generation.

Chris Welch, managing director, Welch Group, said: “The biggest brake on fleet electrification isn’t appetite. Operators on the whole want to make the switch. It’s the trifecta of infrastructure cost, energy complexity and cashflow uncertainty that keeps stopping them. We’ve been living that reality ourselves, so when Voltempo came to us with a model that tackles all three and actually generates revenue from our existing depot footprint, it was a straightforward decision. Now we can point to two of our depots and say: there’s your proof.”

Simon Smith, CEO of Voltempo, added: “This is a pivotal moment for the industry. We’ve moved from talking about the challenges of electrification to actively solving them at scale. By integrating infrastructure, energy and payments into a single solution, we are removing the biggest barriers to adoption; cost, complexity and access. What’s critical is that this model works for everyone, from innovative SME operators such as Welch Group to major fleets like Openreach.”