Plug-In Van Grant

To complement the existing Plug-In Car Grant scheme, in January 2012 the government's Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) established a grant scheme offering 20% (up to a maximum of £8,000) towards the purchase cost of a qualifying electric commercial vehicle to address the fact that these vehicles currently cost more due to the added costs of conversion or low production volume.

The Plug-In Van Grant (PIVG) is administered very simply at the dealership when completing the purchase of the vehicle. There is no 'qualification' process for the purchaser - it is open to all: private individuals, small businesses and large fleet operators.

Minimal administration at the point of sale enables the dealer to apply the discount to the purchase price of the vehicle so there is no need to pay upfront and claim it back.

OLEV require a short survey to be completed to help them to track the buying habits of purchasers and they require you to acknowledge that you have been advised about safe recharging: e.g. using a wallbox at base for regular recharging; not using extension cables; exercising care about charging in 'random' locations.

The grant is applicable to both factory-produced models and conversions but only vehicles appearing on the approved list are eligible for help so be sure to check that a vehicle is on the list.

As of 1st February 2012, the 7 vehicles which are approved are:

• Renault Kangoo ZE (including Crew Van)
  
• Ford Transit Connect (Azure Dynamics)
  
• Mercedes-Benz Vito E-Cell
  
• Smith Electric Edison (Ford Transit)
  
• Faam ECOMILE
  
• Faam JOLLY 2000
  
• Mia Electric Mia U
  

Note: Renault Kangoo ZE Crew Van, whilst having all-round windows and 5 seats and treated as a car in most other respects including taxation, actually appears on this list rather than the Plug-In Car Grant list since it is 'homologated' (type approved) as a van. 

Please check whether prices quoted by manufacturers include or exclude the PIVG.

If you are interested in deploying commercial vehicles in a fleet we are experienced in analysing fleet patterns, specifying vehicles and installing complementary charging infrastructure to enable effective use of the fleet.  We are available for consultation and Project Management including driver training and electrical contracting.

Please contact us for anything related to fleet planning at consulting@eco-drive.co.uk or click on contact us.