Update on grants & schemes for EV drivers

You may well know that the government has been incentivising us drivers to look towards the electric vehicles market for some time now, in order to get us better on track to meet the “Road to Zero” plans to be carbon neutral by 2050.

If you own an off road car parking space, you are likely eligible for a grant of up to £350 off the cost of installing a charger at home.

At Rivervale, we’ve teamed up with Virtus Energy so you can include the cost of a home charger in your monthly leasing rental with any of our qualifying electric / hybrid vehicles. You’ll get assistance through the OZEV grant application. Virtus Energy will also help you choose the best placement for your charger, and start the planning process for installation. Your charger will be set up and ready for the delivery of your brand new lease vehicle. We’ll even plant a tree in your name with every installation, in partnership with eforests. For more information, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide about getting a home charger installed.

But that’s not the only incentive the government is offering.

Low-emissions grants

That’s right, it’s not just the home chargers you can get money towards. The government is offering a discount off the price of a new low-emission EV too, through both vehicle dealerships and manufacturers.

What do I have to do?

Nothing. The dealer or manufacturer will discount the grant money from the value of the car, and show that in the price you pay for the vehicle. EVs can be expensive, but every little helps – the government is offering a maximum grant of £2,500.

Is my van eligible for the grant or just my car?

The government has identified seven categories of vehicles, and explained which of these are entitled to the grant

• Cars
• Motorcycles
• Mopeds
• Large vans
• Small vans
• Taxis
• Trucks

There are different requirements for every category, which you’ll have to become familiar with to be sure your vehicle is eligible.

For a motorbike, for example, the grant will foot 20% of the RRP, to a cap of £1,500 (the motorbike must have zero CO2 emissions and be able to travel a minimum of 50 km (which is 31 miles) between charges.

A small van, meanwhile, must be less than 2,500kg in gross vehicle weight, produce less than 50g/km in CO2 emissions and be able to travel a minimum of 96km (which is 60 miles) without producing any emissions. That counts vehicles like the Citroen e-Berlingo, the Nissan e-NV200 and the Renault Zoe van, amongst plenty of others. The grant is capped at 35% of RRP, capped at a £3,000 limit.

Large vans too can qualify for this grant, which will pay up to a cap of £6,000 or 35% of the purchase price. This category is for vehicles weighing in between 2,500kg and 3,500kg gross vehicle weight, which can travel for a minimum of 96 km (60 miles) without producing any emissions and have CO2 emissions reading of less than 50g/km. Large vans such as the Citroen e-Dispatch, the Fiat e-Ducato and the Mercedes Benz e-Sprinter all qualify in this category.

Some taxis, trucks and mopeds qualify too, so it’s certainly worth factoring into your plans for any new EV purchase.

Does every car advertised as ‘low-emissions’ qualify for the grant?

Unfortunately not. The government has set out a list of all models that are eligible for the grant, which you can find on their webpage.

Cars, which were previously known as ‘category 1’, are classed as vehicles that expel CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km, and can travel at least 112km (or 70 miles) without producing any emissions at all. That takes many hybrids out of consideration.

Some popular car models which are eligible for the grant include the BMW i3, the Mazda MX-30, the Mini Electric, the Nissan Leaf and the Peugeot e-208 – but the list goes on.

Another consideration is that cars eligible for this grant must also cost less than £35,000, at the RRP (including VAT and delivery fees). With the average price of electric cars coming in at £44,000, this does eliminate a fair share of the EV models you might’ve held in consideration.

The grant is good for 35% of the RRP of your EV, with a cap at £2,500.

Government plans for an EV-focussed future

On 28th September, transport secretary Grant Schapps laid out a raft of new measures to help position the UK as a leader in the future of transport technologies.

One of these measures was the proposal of more EV charge points around the UK – and making sure that these are designed inclusively, for all drivers.

The proposal suggests “a robust and expansive ChargePoint network that will allow everyone to make the switch to electric”. With the government’s commitment to phase out the sale of new ICE (internal combustion engine) cars by 2030, this is a welcome development, making sure that little is standing in the way of the aspiring EV driver.

It looks like it’s never been easier to go Green, and with all of the technological advancements made year on year in EV technology, EVs are genuinely looking to be the forerunners in terms of function and delivery in the automotive future ahead of us.

In early 2022, the reformed Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) and Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) will come into place

Let’s break them both down:

Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS)

You have until 31st March 2022, for installations using the current EVHS scheme.

The last claims for instillations under the current scheme are 30th April 2022 and will be for exceptional reasons only.

The reformed EVHS scheme is designed to accelerate provisions in apartment blocks and rental accommodation.

The reforms to the EVHS will be delivered through a new digital platform for OZEV ChargePoint grants (available in early 2022).

For people living in flats and renters:

• A maximum of £350 is available towards the cost of installing a ChargePoint.
• Only 1 application is permitted per person.
• The applicant must have a qualifying electric vehicle.
• The property must have dedicated off-street parking.
• Provided through a new digital platform.

For non-resident building owners (including non-resident building owners):

• A maximum of £350 is available towards the cost of installing a ChargePoint.
• A maximum of 200 applications per year per applicant.
• Applicants must have a registered business or be a public authority. Or, if they are a private entity, you may be registered with Companies House, have VAT registration, or be a private registered provider of social housing.
• The property must have associated private parking.
• There is no limit as to how many ChargePoint sockets can be installed in each property (within the overall number of grants available).

For apartment block owners:

• A maximum of £30,000 funding is available per building.
• A maximum of 30 applications per year per applicant.
• The amount of grant available per application depends on:
• The amount of parking bays being provisioned with either a ChargePoint socket (up to £850 available per bay).
• Or the supporting infrastructure for a ChargePoint to be installed at a later date (up to £500 available per bay).
• Applicants must have a registered business or be a public authority. Or, if they are a private entity, you may be registered with Companies House, have VAT registration, or be a private registered provider of social housing.
• The property must have private parking.
• There is no limit as to how many ChargePoint sockets can be installed in each property (within the overall limit of £30,000 per property).
• A minimum of 5 bays must be provisioned with at least one having a working ChargePoint.

Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS)

The scheme is expanding to provide more support for SME’s, small accommodation businesses, and charities.

There will be continued support for businesses to install charge points for their staff and fleets using the current WCS digital platform.

For small accommodation businesses (like B&B’s and campsites) and charities:

• A maximum of £350 is available per socket towards the cost of installing a ChargePoint.
• A maximum of 40 grants are available.
• Applicants must be a registered charity or an accommodation business with less than 250 employees.
• The accommodation business must be a registered business with Companies House or have VAT registration.
• The site must have off-street parking.

For commercially-let property owners:

• A maximum of £350 is available per socket towards the cost of installing a ChargePoint.
• A maximum of 100 applications per year per applicant.
• Applicants must be a registered business or a public authority. If they are a private entity, they may be registered with Companies House, have VAT registration.
• The property must be a commercially let unit and have parking associated with it.
• Charge points must be installed in private parking spaces that are reserved for staff or fleet use.

If you’re not sure how charging an electric car works, don’t worry – we’ve put together a handy guide about connector types, charging at home, work or on the go.

For small and medium-sized businesses:

• A maximum of £15,000 is available per building towards the cost of installing charge points.
• A maximum of 5 grants are available.
• There is no limit as to how many ChargePoint sockets can be installed at each site, but there are only 5 grants available.
• Grant amounts depend on how many parking bays are being provisioned.
  • Up to £850 is available for a bay with a ChargePoint
  • Up to £500 is available If a bay is provisioned with supporting infrastructure.
• Applicants must be a registered business with Companies House or have VAT registration, with less than 250 employees.
• The business location must have associated private parking.
• A minimum of 5 bays must be provisioned, at least one of which must have a working ChargePoint.
• The allocation will be in addition to that available under the current WCS.
• This will be provided by a new digital platform for OZEV ChargePoint grants (available early 2022).

If you’d like to learn more about changes to the grants, or need help finding the right EV for you, contact our team on 01273 433480, or request a callback at a time that suits you.