Commercial EV Charging Course: C&G 2921-32 & 2921-33

Large-scale EV charging training for businesses and electricians — C&G 2921-32 & 2921-33, group bookings and ad-hoc dates for teams.

8 min read Guide Total Skills Training Team, City & Guilds Approved CentreLast reviewed: August 2026

In this guide

Commercial EV Charging: Where the Demand Is

Domestic EV charging is established territory — most qualified electricians already hold the 2921-34 and can fit a home wallbox. The real growth in EV infrastructure is now in large scale EV charging: fleet depots, workplace car parks, retail sites, motorway service areas and public rapid charging hubs. These are commercial projects, commissioned by businesses, and they demand a different level of qualification.

This commercial EV charging course guide covers the two City & Guilds Level 3 Awards for large-scale installations — the 2921-32 (design and quality assurance) and the 2921-33 (installation and maintenance) — and explains how businesses can book training for their teams.

Quick answer

The C&G 2921-32 and 2921-33 are the commercial EV charging qualifications for rapid DC chargers from 50kW to 350kW. They are for qualified electricians, electrical contractors and the businesses that employ them. Total Skills runs a combined 4-day course, and offers group bookings for teams of 5 or more on ad-hoc dates.

What the 2921-32 and 2921-33 Qualifications Cover

The large-scale route is two separate City & Guilds Level 3 Awards. They can be taken together on a combined course, or separately as demand requires.

2921-32 — Design and Quality Assurance

The Level 3 Award in the Design and Quality Assurance of Large-Scale Electric Vehicle Charging Installations (2921-32) covers site surveys, load assessments, power supply evaluation and DNO coordination, cable routing and containment design, protection and earthing strategies for three-phase DC fast charging, quality assurance documentation, and Part S Building Regulations infrastructure requirements. It is assessed by a 90-minute written exam plus a 3-hour design project.

2921-33 — Installation and Maintenance

The Level 3 Award in the Installation and Maintenance of Large-Scale Electric Vehicle Charging Installations (2921-33) covers installation procedures, commissioning of rapid and ultra-rapid chargers, fault diagnosis, planned maintenance regimes, G99 grid connection applications for DC chargers, and health and safety. It is assessed by a single 120-minute written exam.

Scope of the large-scale course

✓Medium-power rapid charging (50–90kW) for public locations, fleet depots and workplace car parks
✓High-power charging (150–350kW) for motorway service areas and public charging hubs
✓Introduction to the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) for heavy goods vehicles
✓Three-phase power systems and commercial supply characteristics
✓Advanced load management across multiple high-power charge points
✓Thermal management and cooling requirements for high-power equipment

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Large-Scale EV (2921)

Combined 2921-32 and 2921-33 — two Level 3 Awards in a 4-day intensive at our Nottingham centre.

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Training Your Team: Group Bookings for Businesses

This is an EV charging course for businesses as much as for individual electricians. Fleet operators, facilities teams and electrical contractors increasingly need several people qualified at once — and that is how this course works best.

Total Skills offers group bookings for businesses with a minimum of 5 learners per course. Rather than fitting around a fixed public timetable, group courses run on ad-hoc dates arranged around your business's schedule and demand. If your team only needs one unit — the 2921-32 design award or the 2921-33 installation award — the two can be run separately for your group.

To arrange a group booking, contact the team or call 0115 666 2366 to discuss dates and numbers.

Minimum group size

Group bookings require a minimum of 5 learners. Smaller teams can book individual places on the public course dates — see the course page for availability.

Who It's For

The large-scale EV route is aimed at practising electricians and the businesses that deliver commercial charging projects.

✓Electrical contractors bidding for commercial EV contracts — fleet depots, workplace charging, supermarket car parks and motorway service areas all require 2921-32/33 qualified installers
✓Fleet and depot operators electrifying their vehicles and needing in-house or contracted charging infrastructure expertise
✓Facilities and estates teams responsible for workplace charging across commercial sites
✓Qualified electricians moving from domestic to commercial EV work — the natural next step after the 2921-34
✓Electrical engineers designing and signing off EV infrastructure — the 2921-32 covers design principles, load calculations and quality assurance
✓Charge point operators and their supply chain building public rapid charging networks

Entry Requirements

Both qualifications are for practising electricians. You must hold the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations (BS 7671) and one of the following:

✓2357 NVQ Level 3 (Buildings, Structures & Environment, or Electrical Maintenance)
✓2356 Electrotechnical Services Experienced Worker
✓2346 Experienced Worker Assessment (EWA)
✓5357 Level 3 Electrotechnical
✓Historical equivalents per the Electrotechnical Assessment Specification (EAS)
✓ECS Gold Card, JIB Electrician card or Approved Electrician card

For the 2921-32 design unit specifically, an HNC or HND in Electrical & Electronic Engineering, or the C&G Level 4 Award in Design and Verification (2396), is also accepted as an entry route. A 5-year currency rule applies: your prerequisite qualification must be within 5 years, or you must hold the current 18th Edition (2382-26) as evidence of currency. Learners must be aged 18 or over.

No domestic prerequisite

The domestic 2921-34 is not required before either large-scale unit. The 2921-32 and 2921-33 stand alone — though most commercial installers end up holding all three.

Domestic (2921-34) vs the Large-Scale Route

The domestic 2921-34 covers single-phase Mode 3 chargers up to 22kW for homes and small commercial premises, assessed by a single online multiple-choice test. The large-scale 2921-32 and 2921-33 cover three-phase rapid DC charging from 50kW to 350kW, assessed by written exams and (for the 2921-32) a design project. They are different scopes for different markets — domestic work fills itself, while commercial projects are where the highest-value contracts sit.

For a fuller side-by-side comparison, read our domestic vs commercial EV charging guide, and for the wider qualification landscape see the EV charging course guide.

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Large-Scale EV (2921)

Ready to move into commercial EV? The combined 2921-32/33 course covers 50kW rapid to 350kW high-power systems in 4 days.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the 2921-32 and 2921-33 qualifications?

The 2921-32 is the Level 3 Award in the Design and Quality Assurance of Large-Scale Electric Vehicle Charging Installations — covering system design, load calculations and quality assurance. The 2921-33 is the Level 3 Award in the Installation and Maintenance of Large-Scale Electric Vehicle Charging Installations — covering installation, commissioning, fault diagnosis and maintenance. They are separate qualifications and can be taken separately.

Can I take the 2921-32 and 2921-33 separately?

Yes. The two units can be run separately as demand requires — you can sit the 2921-32 (design and quality assurance) or the 2921-33 (installation and maintenance) on its own. Total Skills also runs a combined 4-day intensive course covering both qualifications back-to-back.

Can a business book the course for a whole team?

Yes. Total Skills offers group bookings for businesses with a minimum of 5 learners per course. Dates are arranged ad-hoc around your business schedule rather than fixed to the public timetable. Contact the team on 0115 666 2366 or through the contact page to arrange a group booking.

What are the entry requirements for the large-scale EV course?

You must hold the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations (BS 7671) and one of: 2357 NVQ Level 3, 2356 Experienced Worker, 2346 EWA, 5357 Level 3 Electrotechnical, an EAS historical equivalent, or an ECS Gold Card / JIB Electrician card. For the 2921-32 design unit specifically, an HNC/HND in Electrical & Electronic Engineering or the C&G 2396 Design and Verification award is also accepted. You must be 18 or over.

Do I need the domestic 2921-34 before the commercial course?

No. The domestic 2921-34 is not a prerequisite for either the 2921-32 or the 2921-33. The large-scale qualifications stand alone, though most commercial installers hold all three to cover the full range from home wallboxes to multi-megawatt charging hubs.

How is the commercial EV charging course assessed?

The 2921-32 is assessed by a 90-minute short-answer and scenario-based written exam plus a 3-hour design project. The 2921-33 is assessed by a single 120-minute short-answer and scenario-based written exam. Both are graded Pass/Fail — a different format from the domestic 2921-34 online multiple-choice test.

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