Skip to main content

UK government commits extra funding to boost electric van and truck use

The UK government is committing an additional US$4.8 million (£4 million) to the Plug-In Van grant scheme, extending the eligibility to larger electric vehicles so that all vans and trucks meeting the necessary requirements are eligible as part of the drive to reduce carbon emissions from transport use. Businesses will now benefit from grants up to US$24,000 (£20,000) when switching their large trucks to electric vehicles, Business and Energy secretary Greg Clark announced during a 3 day visit to Japan w
October 24, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The UK government is committing an additional US$4.8 million (£4 million) to the Plug-In Van grant scheme, extending the eligibility to larger electric vehicles so that all vans and trucks meeting the necessary requirements are eligible as part of the drive to reduce carbon emissions from transport use.

Businesses will now benefit from grants up to US$24,000 (£20,000) when switching their large trucks to electric vehicles, Business and Energy secretary Greg Clark announced during a 3 day visit to Japan where he is meeting Japanese automotive companies.

The Plug-In Van grant has been available to small commercial vehicles of up to 3.5 tonnes since 2012, but sales of new electric vans have remained limited.

Electric vans and trucks have significant air quality benefits, as they spend much of their time in towns and city centres and over 96 per cent of them are diesel-powered.

The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), a joint unit of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the 1837 Department for Transport, believes extending the scheme will stimulate demand for more electric vans and trucks, and consequently encourage new entrants into the electric van market.

UTC

Related Content

  • April 20, 2012
    The afterlife of spent electric vehicle batteries
    Earlier this year, General Motors signed a definitive agreement with ABB Group to identify joint research and development projects that would reuse Chevrolet Volt battery systems, which will have up to 70 per cent of life remaining after their automotive use is exhausted. Recent research conducted by GM predicts that secondary use of 33 Volt batteries will have enough storage capacity to power up to 50 homes for about four hours during a power cut.
  • July 14, 2014
    UK government to invest in sustainable transport schemes
    Dozens of sustainable transport schemes got the green light this week, Transport Minister Baroness Kramer has announced. The range of schemes will include improved infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians, better bus journeys and new and upgraded transport interchanges allowing people to easily switch from one mode of transport to another. The Department for Transport is providing US$109 million towards the schemes in the latest round of its Local sustainable Transport Fund, with Local Enterprise P
  • April 20, 2012
    Electric and hybrid vehicles fall out of favour with corporate fleets in Europe
    According to the Arval, the car rental division of French banking group, BNP Paribas, the interest of Spanish companies in adding electric vehicles to their fleet has dropped 90 per cent in the past year, with just two per cent of companies expecting to opt for this type of vehicle before 2014. In 2010, 21 per cent said they would chose them. Hybrid cars also lost favour, with a 47 per cent drop in the number of companies intending to use them in their fleet from 30 per cent in 2010 to 16 per cent currently
  • April 25, 2019
    TriMet and PGE use wind to power e-buses in Portland
    Authorities in Oregon, US, are embracing wind power as a means of meeting transport emissions commitments. TriMet (Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon) has joined forces with Portland General Electric (PGE) to power its all-electric buses with wind energy. TriMet says the move supports its ambition to run a non-diesel fleet by 2040. Maria Pope, PGE president, says: "This all-electric bus line is a sustainable transportation option for the community and another step closer to a cle