Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of electric (a) vans and (b) cars that will be funded through the new plug-in vehicle grant allocation.

Estimates of the number of zero emission cars and vans to receive plug-in vehicle grant funding are commercially sensitive to Government.

The Plug-in Car Grant rate has been reduced from £3,000 to £2,500 per car with the price cap reducing from £50,000 to £35,000, enabling the funding to last longer and making it available to more drivers. The increasing choice of new vehicles, growing demand from customers, and rapidly rising number of chargepoints means that we are re-focusing our vehicle grants on the more affordable zero emission vehicles – where most consumers will be looking and where taxpayers’ money will make more of a difference.

We have also changed the Plug-in Van Grant eligibility criteria to focus only on vans with zero emission ranges of over 60 miles. We have provided over £100m in funding through the Plug-in Van Grant since its launch in 2012, supporting the purchase of over 15,000 ultra-low emission vans and trucks, the majority of which are zero emission vehicles. As the market for electric vans increases, the revised Plug-In Van Grant rates ensure we can continue to support the highest number of vehicles, while still offering a substantial discount on the upfront price.

We will continue to review both grant schemes as the market grows. Generous tax incentives, including favourable company car tax rates, which can save drivers over £2,000 a year, remain in place.