The delivery period for new EVs to be eligible for the UK Government’s plug-in vehicle grant has been extended, amid continuing industry supply problems and delivery delays.
Previously, orders had to be completed within 12 months for the grant to be paid, but this has now been extended to 18 months.
Correspondence from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), published by the BVRLA, states that orders placed on the grant scheme’s portal between 14 June 2021 and 31 March 2023 will benefit from the 18-month delivery period.
The portion of the grant scheme related to electric cars closed in June this year, and an OZEV spokesperson has clarified to Business Car that this remains the case, with the newly-announced 31 March 2023 date not meaning new car orders can now be placed. However, any car orders placed between 14 June 2021 and 14 June 2022 will be honoured, providing the vehicles are delivered within the timeframe and the rest of the plug-in vehicle grant criteria is met.
Grants are currently available for wheelchair-accessible vehicles, taxis, motorcycles, vans, and trucks.
The BVRLA had been campaigning for a delivery period extension, and the organisation’s director of corporate affairs Toby Poston said: “This is great news for a fleet industry that is still suffering from massive lead times on some of the most popular battery electric vehicles. We greatly appreciate the input from members on this issue and thank OZEV for taking decisive action to support fleet decarbonisation.”
