Plug-in Van Grant coming

Following the introduction of the Plug-in Car Grant at the end of 2010, the UK Department for Transport has announced a similar allowance for vans.

The Plug-in Van Grant will cover 20% of the cost of an eligible vehicle, up to a maximum of £8,000. It’ll be available to both individuals and businesses in the form of a discount at the point of purchase, meaning customers won’t have to make any retrospective claims.

A list of vans that are entitled to the grant doesn’t exist yet, as manufacturers are going to have to formally apply to the DfT if they want their models included in the scheme. That process has only just begun, and the deadline for the first lot of submissions is the end of January.

To be eligible, a strict set of criteria will have to be met covering performance, emissions, safety and powertrain:

• Vehicles must be new fully electric or plug-in hybrid vans, including pre-registration conversions.
• Gross vehicle weight cannot exceed 3.5 tonnes.
• Plug-in hybrid vans have to have a minimum electric-only range of 10 miles (16 km).
• Fully electric vans must be able to travel at least 60 miles (97 km) between recharges.
• Vehicles are required to have a top speed of at least 50 mph (80 km/h).
• Carbon dioxide emissions cannot exceed 75 g/km.
• Vans must comply with UN-ECE Regulation 100.00 to show that they are electrically safe.
• To demonstrate adequate crash safety, vans have to have either EC whole vehicle type approval or comply with other internationally-recognised safety standards.
• A three-year / 60,000 miles (96,560 km) vehicle warranty is mandatory.
• The battery and electric drivetrain warranty must cover at least three years with the option for customers to extend the battery warranty for an extra two years.

Potential recipients of the Plug-in Van Grant:

The Ford Transit Connect Electric...

...and the Renault Kangoo Maxi Z.E.

Commenting on the new scheme, Under Secretary of State for Transport Norman Baker said:

“Electric vehicles are the arrowhead for a low carbon revolution in motoring and as more models come to market we’ll begin to see sales gather pace.

“Car buyers have had a year to take advantage of our grant and now it’s time for van buyers to get their chance to go electric. This is great news for businesses given the lower running costs of these vehicles - fleet buyers tell us that this is one of the most important factor influencing their decision on what to buy.

“It is radical initiatives like these which will allow us to create a transport system that both cuts carbon and is an engine for economic growth.”

Arguably the Plug-in Car Grant has not been a huge success, as only 1,052 eligible vehicles were registered during 2011. Whether van users will be more convinced by the incentive to switch to electric power remains to be seen.

Related posts:
Mia Microbus UK debut
Ford Transit Connect EV
Kangoo Van Maxi Z.E.
Think launches City van
Nine electric cars get grant
Electric car grants saved