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Government Grants for Electric Vehicles

Four grants are available to help cut the costs of a new electric vehicle and home charger, offered by the Office for Zero-Emission Vehicles (OZEV).

1. Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS)

The EVHS provides up to £350 off the cost of purchasing and installing a home charging point.

To qualify for this grant, you need to have purchased an eligible Electric or Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle or leased one for at least six months. Click here to see a list of OLEV eligible vehicles.

You must also have off-street parking in addition to getting an approved charger and installer to carry out the work.

The scheme ends on 31st March 2022, so those who are thinking about upgrading to an electric vehicle will need to move quickly and have their installations completed by that date.

The Government has announced new legislation for new homes and buildings, such as supermarkets and workplaces, which means that they will be required to have had electric vehicle charge points installed. This means that up to 145,000 extra charge points will be installed across England each year, making charging an electric vehicle as easy as refuelling a petrol or diesel car.


2. Plug-In Car Grant (PICG)

This grant offers a discount of up to £1,500 off the cost of a brand-new, low-emission car; £2,500 off the cost of a small van; and £5,000 off the cost of a large van. Click here to see a list of eligible vehicles for a plug-in grant.

This grant is available through manufacturers and dealerships. The discount is included upon purchase of a new vehicle on the Government’s approved list.


3. Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS)

The WCS reduces the purchase and installation cost of a new workplace charging station (single socket) by 75%. It is capped at £350 per socket and a single business can claim up to a maximum of 40 sockets. All types of businesses can apply, providing they meet the applicant and site eligibility criteria. To summarise:

The WCS is a voucher-based system that requires the business to submit an online application form. If successful, the business will receive a voucher which they can present to an OZEV-authorised WCS installer who can claim the grant on behalf of the business.

Workplace charging is a great benefit for businesses, offering huge savings in commercial fleet and employee fuel costs. A green fleet can help reduce CO2 emissions and reach sustainability goals too!


4. On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS)

The ORCS provides funding for local authorities towards the cost of installing on-street residential electric chargers. It aims to provide charging infrastructure for drivers who are not eligible for a home charger.

The scheme provides up to £7,500 towards an on-street residential charging point.

The scheme is run by the Energy Saving Trust, funded by the Office for Zero-Emissions Vehicles. It is available to local authorities on a first come, first served basis. Click here for more information.

To discover more about Electric & Hybrid vehicles, click here.

To learn about the finance and costs involved, please contact our nearest, convenient dealership to you to chat with one of our friendly EV experts (they're truly Bright Sparks!). Contact details can be found on our website by clicking here.