Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of take-up of electric vans; what assessment they have made of the impact on the targets contained in their paper Consultation on a zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate and CO2 emissions regulation for new cars and vans in the UK, published on 30 March; and whether they have any plans to exclude electric vehicles weighing 3.5–4 tonnes from the requirement to be fitted with a tachograph.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department continuously monitors the uptake of electric vans through national statistics and engagement with industry. As of March 2023, there were almost 50,000 battery electric vans registered in the UK. This number continues to grow and so far this year, 5% of all new van registrations have been battery electric.

The Government will be publishing its response to the consultation shortly, which will set out the final policy design of the ZEV mandate.

The Department continues to assess the regulatory framework to support the transition to ZEVs, including rules on driving hours and tachographs, without compromising on road and public safety.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many purchases of small vans have been supported by the plug-in grant since 1 January 2022.

Answered by Jesse Norman

Since 1 January 2022, 3,483 small van orders have been supported by funding from the Plug In Van Grant.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many purchases of (a) small and (b) large vans have been supported through the plug-in grant in each year since its inception.

Answered by Trudy Harrison

21,218 grants have been awarded for small vans and 11,315 grants for large vans since 2019. A further 5,070 vans were awarded grants between 2012 and 2018.

Data collected on the category of van when applying for a grant has changed over time owing to grant eligibility, and we are only able to differentiate between small and large vans from 2019 onwards.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to support (a) the adoption of electric vans by small and mid-size enterprises and (b) van fleets facing additional costs to install charging infrastructure.

Answered by Trudy Harrison

Government grants for plug in vehicles continue to be available to help reduce the up-front purchase price of electric vans. Demand for zero emission vans increased substantially in 2020, with increased interest from commercial fleets. Since the plug in grant scheme was introduced in 2012, it has supported over 15,000 electric vans and HGVs across the UK. There are more than 20 models eligible for the grant. Policies and grant rates are kept under review and we will monitor the market closely, to ensure the grant remains an effective incentive and good value for money for the taxpayer. Zero emission vans are exempt from vehicle excise duty, and from 6 April 2021 zero emission company vans were exempt from the van benefit charge.

There are also grants available to support the installation of chargepoints at homes, workplaces and on residential streets. The £950m Rapid Charging Fund will deliver substantial, future-proofed connections to the electricity grid at motorway and major A road services, to enable the delivery of ultra rapid chargepoints up and down the country. Building on the £1.9 billion from Spending Review 2020, the Government has recently committed an additional £620 million to support the transition to electric vehicles. The additional funding will support the rollout of charging infrastructure, with a particular focus on local on street residential charging, and targeted plug-in vehicle grants. Ofgem has also consulted on proposals that would reduce costs for installing new EV chargepoints where reinforcement of the existing network is required.