Are you eligible for the Plug-in van and truck grant extension?
It’s confirmed! The government has now announced that the plug-in grant will be extended for an additional two years, up until 2024/2025.
Since the grant was introduced in 2011, it has supported the purchase of more than 26,000 electric vans and HGVs across the UK. The most recent changes to the Plug-In car grant (PiCG) and eligibility criteria in 2021 has resulted in decreased monetary value to the grants, and now the Government will be implementing even more changes.
What are the changes to the plug-in grant eligibility criteria?
Beginning on April the 1st 2022, the criteria to be able to claim the small truck grant of up to £16K will be adjusted so the vehicle must be 4.25 tonnes or over, instead of the previous 3.5 tonnes. While vans of up to 4.25 tonnes will still be eligible to claim the large van grant of up to £5K. According to the Government, vehicle owners with a standard car driving licence will continue to be allowed to drive electric goods vans of up to 4.25 tonnes, compared to the 3.5 tonne limit for diesel vans.
These changes are being made to ensure that the government targets support where needed, allowing more costly trucks of up to 12 tonnes to benefit from the larger grants.
If you’re still feeling confused about the upcoming changes, please see the table at the bottom of this page for further clarification.
What effects will the plug-in grant changes have on vehicle owners?
The latest changes to the plug-in grant are predicted to support the purchase of tens of thousands of greener commercial vehicles, allowing the UK to consolidate UK produced energy, as well as being kinder to the environment. In 2021, industry figures showed the UK had the highest number of plug-in electric vans sold in Europe, with around quadruple the amount of grant applications compared to 2020.
“This good news comes at the perfect time for the fleet industry as it struggles with rising operating costs and global shortage of electric vans.” Stated Toby Poston, the BVRLA (British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association) Director of Corporate Affairs, in reference to the extended grants.
Almost 5% of the UK’s total CO2 emissions are emitted by vans, which is why ministers believe the two-year extension to these grants, in addition to the switch towards greener vehicles, is vital for the governments proposed climate change and clean air commitments.
“As the funds available to support the transition to zero emission diminish, we support the Government’s pragmatic steps to focus on sectors that need the most help in the build up to the 2030 phase-out.” Remarked Toby.
Please note that we do not supply small trucks, the purpose of the vehicles inclusion in this article is solely for clarification of the criteria to claim an electric vehicle grant from the 1st of April onwards.
However, we can supply large commercial vehicles. This means that we can help you get one step closer to claiming an electric vehicle grant for a car, small van or large van. If you’re considering electrifying your fleet, call our sales team on 0333 006 7070.