BEIS announces £4m plan to extend OLEV plug-in van grant to larger vehicles
Mon 24 October 2016
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The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has announced that it will contribute an extra £4m to the plug-in van grant scheme to extend its eligibility to larger electric vehicles.
The plug-in van grant has been available to small commercial vehicles of up to 3.5 tonnes since 2012 but sales have been limited. Businesses will now be able to benefit from grants of up to £20,000 for the purchase of electric trucks.
OLEV believes that extending the scheme will stimulate demand for more electric vans and trucks, and consequently encourage new entrants into the electric van market. Electric vans and trucks have significant air quality benefits in towns and city centres by displacing conventional vehicles, over 96% of which are diesel-powered.
Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said: "The electric car revolution is well under way with consumers and this funding will encourage more businesses to consider switching to cleaner vans and trucks.
"Our automotive sector is thriving with the world’s most popular electric car already made in the UK and we are forging ahead to deploy new engine technology to make low-carbon vehicles mainstream, and leading the way in driverless car technology.
"The government and industry continue to work together to support the UK’s world class automotive industry to ensure we continue to be the number one place in the world to develop and manufacture cars."
LowCVP is already in touch with OLEV to assist in defining the assessment process for larger commercial vehicles and has recently completed work for both Dft and TfL to help this.
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