Charging a utility vehicle on site
By James Brown · Updated 6 September 2026 · 7 minute read
Most electric utility vehicles charge from an ordinary mains socket overnight, and the practical question is not whether the site has power but whether it has power where the machine already parks. A charge point the crew has to think about is one that gets missed, and a pack that is regularly left part-charged is one that will be replaced early.
Key takeaways
- Put the charge point where the machine already stops. Anything else relies on somebody remembering.
- A part-charged pack left standing is the single most common cause of an early replacement.
- Have the supply checked by a qualified electrician before the vehicle arrives, not after.
- Winter storage is its own problem, and the answer is not simply switching everything off.
Put the point where the machine parks
The most reliable charging routine is the one that requires no decision. If the vehicle is parked in the same shed at the end of every day, the socket goes in that shed and plugging in becomes part of shutting the door.
Charge points placed for the convenience of the electrical supply rather than the crew get used at first and then stop being used. That is not a discipline problem, it is a design problem, and it is cheaper to fix before installation.
The supply itself
Most of these machines charge from a standard socket, and the charger that comes with the vehicle is the one to use. Have the circuit checked by a qualified electrician before delivery: outbuildings, stable blocks and greenkeepers' sheds are exactly the places where the supply is older than anybody remembers.
Outdoor points need an outdoor rating and sensible cable management. A cable across a doorway is a trip hazard that will eventually be a reportable one.
The habits that decide the pack's life
Charge after use rather than before next use. A pack left part-discharged for days is the state that does the damage, and it happens most on a Friday afternoon.
Do not interrupt a charge cycle repeatedly on lead acid: a full cycle is part of how the pack stays balanced.
Over a closed season, follow the maintenance charging routine for the chemistry rather than simply disconnecting everything. A pack left flat all winter is often a pack that does not come back.
Costing one of these against what is already in the yard? Every model we list carries its payload, bed size, range and gradient, so you can compare them on the same terms.
Two shifts, and opportunity charging
A site that needs the machine for more hours than a charge supports has three options: a second machine, a top-up charge over a lunch break, or accepting a diesel for that work.
Opportunity charging works better on lithium than on lead acid, which is one of the practical differences between the two chemistries rather than a marketing one.
Common questions
- Can I charge it outside in the rain
- With an appropriately rated outdoor point and connection, yes. With an extension lead run out of a window, no.
- How long does a full charge take
- It varies by pack and charger, and overnight is the normal assumption. Where a specific figure matters, take it from the model's own specification rather than from the category.
See the utility range
Electric utility vehicles listed with payload, bed dimensions, range and gradient, so the comparison is like for like rather than brochure against brochure.