Government Grants for Electric Vans
Explore the options available to new EV owners
As we speed ever closer to the UK Government’s ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vans from 2030, incentive schemes to help motorists transition to electric vans has been stepped up - and rightly so.
Figures show that the public’s demand for electric vans has dramatically increased. Here are just a few of the stats which support this claim:
- Industry figures showed that in 2021 the UK had the highest number of plug-in electric vans sold in Europe.
- There were four times as many electric vans applications made in 2021 compared to 2020.
- Since the Government’s plug-in truck and van grant programme was launched, it has supported the purchase of over 26,000 electric vans.
In this dedicated Government grants for electric vans article, we explore exactly what grants are available to you, and how you can access them. Before you know it, you’ll be well on the way to securing a new electric van!
Electric plug-in van grant
In an announcement made in March 2022, the UK Government confirmed a two-year extension to its plug-in van and truck grant (PIVG). Businesses will be supported to make the switch to an electric van in order to make them more affordable. More than 30 models of small and large electric vans qualify for the subvention, which we’ve listed below.
It is expected that the plug-in truck and van grant extension will support the purchase of thousands more electric commercial vehicles in the UK. All-in-all, the scheme will enable businesses across the country to be less reliant on imports of foreign oil and ever-increasing costs of fuel.
What is the plug-in van and truck government grant?
As we know, between 2030 and 2035, any new cars and vans sold in the UK must have zero-emission capabilities. To help fast-track transport decarbonisation, the Government launched the PIVG to help bridge the price gap between diesel vans and electric vehicles.
So what savings can you expect to make? From 1st April 2022, the threshold to claim an electric small truck grant of up to £16,000 will be increased from 3.5 tonnes to 4.25 tonnes. Due to increasing demand for large vans, electric commercial vehicles up to 4.25 tonnes will be eligible for a grant of up to £5,000.
This funding is available to manufacturers and distributors of electric vehicles, which is passed onto dealerships, like us here at Loads of Vans. When purchasing an electric van, you do not need to do anything like the value of the grant will be included in the vehicle’s list price.
In this instance, the electric van grant will pay for 35% of the purchase price for small electric vans, up to a maximum of £2,500. For large electric vans, the plug-in van grant will also pay for 35% of the purchase price, but up to a maximum of £5,000. We’ve listed below the small and large electric vans eligible for grants.
Small electric vans eligible for a plug-in grant
Please note that only small electric commercial vehicles approved by the Government are eligible. Approved small electric vans are classed as those less than 2,500kg gross vehicle weight, have CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km, and can travel at least 60 miles without emitting any emissions at all. The approved list is:
- Citroën e-Berlingo
- Maxus eDeliver 3 (short wheelbase variants)
- Nissan e-NV200
- Nissan Voltia
- Peugeot e-Partner
- Renault Kangoo ZE
- Renault Zoe Van
- Toyota Proace City Electric
- Vauxhall Combo-e
Large electric vans eligible for a plug-in grant
As above, only large electric commercial vehicles approved by the Government are eligible. Approved large electric vans are classed as those between 2,500kg and 4,250kg gross vehicle weight, have CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km, and can travel at least 60 miles without emitting any emissions at all. The approved list is:
- BD Auto eTraffic
- BD e-Boxer
- BD e-Ducato
- BD e-Relay
- Citroën e-Dispatch
- Citroën e-Relay
- DFSK EC35
- Fiat e-Ducato
- LEVC VN5
- MAN eTGE
- Maxus eDeliver 3
- Maxus eDeliver 3 LWB Chassis Cab
- Maxus eDeliver 9
- Maxus eDeliver 9 MC L3 Chassis Cab
- Maxus eDeliver 9 LC L4 Chassis Cab
- Mercedes-Benz eVito
- Mercedes eSprinter
- Peugeot e-Boxer
- Peugeot e-Expert
- Renault Master ZE (3.1 and 3.5 tonnes)
- Renault Trucks Master ZE
- Toyota Proace Electric
- Vauxhall Vivaro-e
- Volkswagen ABT e-Transporter
- LDV EV80
For both categories, a total of 1,000 plug-in van and truck grants can be claimed by your business or organisation each year from 1st April.
Vehicle charger grants
Did you know the Gov offers grants to support the wider use of electric vehicles via the Office for Zero-Emission Vehicles (OZEV)? Grant schemes for the installation of electric vehicles charging infrastructure are widely available for your workplace, so read on below to find out how you can benefit.
EV Chargepoint Grant
The EV Chargepoint Grant is a scheme created to provide funding of up to 75% towards the cost of installing electric vehicle charge points at domestic properties (including small to medium-sized businesses) across the UK. It came into effect on 1st April 2022, replacing the previous Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS).
Small and medium-sized company owners can apply for funding to install EV plug chargers in parking reserved for staff or company fleet cars and vehicles. For companies with 249 employees or less, the grant will give money towards the infrastructure needed for charge points, as well as installing the chargers themselves.
The electric plug-in grant can be used in conjunction with the Workplace Charging Scheme, which helps fund the installation of charge points, but not the cost of the charging infrastructure - see below for more details about this separate scheme.
Visit the official EV Chargepoint Grant page on the Government website to register for the scheme.
Workplace Charging Scheme
Similar to the EV Chargepoint Grant, the Workplace Charging Scheme is a voucher-based scheme that provides funding for the up-front costs to purchase and install electric vehicle charge points for eligible businesses.
Open to businesses, charities and public sector organisations, the grant covers up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV charge points (inclusive of VAT). This grant is capped at a maximum of £350 per socket, for a total of 40 sockets across the site per applicant.
The Workplace Charging Scheme is open to organisations that fulfil a number of criteria, which is confirmed on the official WCS page on the Government website.
Are electric vans really cheaper to run?
Now we’ve explained the grants available to you as a potential electric van owner, you’ll no doubt want to know if they are cheaper to run overall. Well, the short answer is YES!
According to research conducted by Europe’s leading clean transport campaign group, Transport & Environment, EVs are now cheaper to run. Their research found that on average, an electric van works out to be 25% cheaper per kilometre to own, based on an analysis of six European countries, including the UK.
Although EVs are more expensive to purchase than their diesel cousins, this was outweighed by the overall lower running costs. So how do these savings stack up when it comes to running a vehicle? Research has shown that in a small electric van, you’ll make a saving of 2p per kilometre, whilst in a large van, the saving is 5p per kilometre compared to the diesel equivalent.
Go electric with Loads of Vans
Will you be one of the 32% of businesses that plan to add an electric van to their fleet this year? If so, then we’re here to help. At Loads of Vans in North Cheam, South London, you can discover the best electric vans for sale on the market and benefit from BIG savings too.
Whether you require a single electric van for your new start-up or an entire fleet for your established organisation, then you can count on us to make it happen. Forget long wait times at other dealerships, our vans are available to drive away today - you simply don’t want to miss out on our electric vans stock - once they’re gone, they’re gone!
If you don’t want to purchase your electric van upfront, then fear not, as we offer van finance lease solutions too. There are many great benefits to leasing a van, so pop into our showroom or give us a call to find out more.
We’re a trusted and well-established family business that has been operating for over 100-years in the Surrey and South London area. With access to many makes of vans, we’re on hand to provide you with the expert advice and help you need to begin your electric van journey. Get in touch with us today!
