BROKERS will have more opportunities to help customers switch to electric vans, thanks to an extension of the Plug-in Van Grant announced by the Government (25 February 2025), worth £120m.
Grants range from £2,500 for a 2.5 tonne van to £5,000 for vans up to 4.2 tonnes.
What’s more the Government has removed some of the barriers to the heavier 4.25 tonne electric vans by removing the requirement for additional training that is currently in place only for zero emission vans but not their petrol and diesel equivalents.
The Government says this will help businesses by taking away training costs, cutting red tape and making it easier to hire drivers when operating electric vans.
“By making the transition to zero emissions a success, we’re helping to drive growth all over the UK, putting more money in people’s pockets and rebuilding Britain to deliver our Plan for Change.”
Matthew Dillon, Head of Commercial Vehicles at Ayvens, added: “The Government’s confirmation of a one-year extension to the Plug-In Van Grant is a positive step, reinforcing the crucial role financial incentives play in helping commercial vehicle fleets transition to zero-emission alternatives.”
Fiscal support and removing regulatory barriers were two of the three key asks from the Zero Emission Van Plan, launched one year ago by a coalition of industry representatives. The coalition includes the BVRLA, Logistics UK, the REA and its EV forum REcharge UK, the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP), and The EV Café.
A spokesperson for the Zero Emission Van Plan, said: “Vans are the workhorses of the UK economy and growing their share of the UK vehicle parc every year. For the UK to deliver cleaner, greener road transport solutions, the van sector needs to be front of mind. It is encouraging to see policymakers starting to take the transition to zero-emission vans more seriously. Today marks a positive step forward but there remains a long way to go. Electric van registrations are far short of where they need to be, a host of regulatory barriers remain.
“We have been in constant contact with decision makers to reinforce the case for vans. The ongoing consultation, into the need for further regulatory flexibilities, presents another key milestone where we need to see positive progress. It is good to see the government taking action. Now we must make sure we accelerate further and faster.”
Last month the volume of electric vans sold during January increased year on year from 4.9% to 7% – an encouraging shift upwards, but still short of ZEV mandate targets.
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Ralph Morton is the leading journalist in the leasing broker sector and editor of Broker News, the website which provides information and news for BVRLA-registered leasing brokers. He also writes extensively on the fleet and leasing market in both the UK and Europe.
