The government has announced details of the first seven electric van models eligible for up to £8,000 - or 20% - discount under the new Plug-in Van Grant.

The first seven vans to be made eligible for the grants are:

• Azure Dynamics – Transit Connect Electric - On sale now

• Daimler Mercedes-Benz – Vito E-Cell - On sale now

• Faam – ECOMILE - March 2012 

• Faam – JOLLY 2000 - March 2012 

• Mia-electric – Mia U - May 2012 

• Renault – Kangoo ZE variants Kangoo VAN ZE, Kangoo Van Maxi ZE, and Kangoo Van Maxi Crew ZE - On sale now

• Smith Electric – Smith Edison variants SE2 and SE3 - On sale now 

Motorists purchasing a qualifying ultra-low emission van can receive a grant of 20 per cent towards the cost of the vehicle, up to a maximum of £8,000.

The Government is adopting a ‘technology neutral’ approach to reducing emissions from transport. This means that any van which meets the criteria below will be eligible for the subsidy.

The Plug-in Van Grant has been designed to help make the whole-life costs of a qualifying van more comparable with petrol or diesel equivalents. Over time, as manufacturers begin to make these vans in greater volumes, the costs of production should begin to fall. This will help to make an ultra-low carbon van a realistic option for anyone looking to buy or lease a van.

Both private consumers and businesses can benefit from the Plug-in Van Grant when purchasing a qualifying ultra-low emission van and registering it in the UK.

Van eligibility

Vehicles must have been confirmed by Government as eligible under the rules of the scheme in order to receive subsidy:

Vehicle type

Only new vans are eligible (vehicle category ‘N1’ with a gross weight of 3.5 tonnes or less). This includes pre-registration conversions (normal, internal combustion engine vans that were converted to battery or hybrid versions by specialist convertors before the van’s first registration).

Carbon dioxide exhaust emissions

Vehicles must emit less than 75 grams of carbon dioxide (CO2) per kilometre driven.

Range

Eligible fully electric vans must be able to travel a minimum of 60 miles between charges. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) must have a minimum electric range of 10 miles.

Minimum top speed

Vehicles must be able to reach a speed of 50 miles per hour or more.

Warranty

Vehicles must have:

- a 3-year or 60,000-miles vehicle warranty (guarantee)

- a 3-year battery and electric drive train warranty, with the option of extending the battery warranty for an extra 2 years

‘Drive train’ means the parts that send power from the engine to the wheels. These include the clutch, transmission (gear box), drive shafts, U-joints and differential

Battery performance

Vehicles must have:

- either a minimum 5-year warranty on the battery and electric drive train as standard

- or extra evidence of battery performance to show reasonable performance after 3 years of use

Electrical safety

Vehicles must comply with certain regulations (UN-ECE Reg 100.00) that show that they are electrically safe.

Crash safety

To make sure vans will be safe in a crash, they must either have:

- Minimum EC regulatory standards for volume production;

- Or evidence that the van demonstrates high levels of safety as judged by international standards. For example, crash testing for other internationally recognised consumer information programmes or regulatory standards, that offer a comparable level of safety stringency as EC minimum regulatory standards for volume production.

Frequently asked questions

I am thinking about buying a qualifying ultra-low emission van – how do I apply for the Grant?

If you are looking to use the Plug-in Van Grant to purchase an eligible van, the good news is that there are no application forms to fill in. The dealership or vendor you are buying your van from will complete all the paperwork on your behalf as you buy the van; and the amount of your grant will be automatically deducted from the price of your van at the point of purchase.

Before you purchase your van, the dealer will ask you a few questions about your decision to purchase an ultra-low emission vehicle. This data will help inform policy decisions about ultra-low emission vehicles and supporting infrastructure.

I am a vehicle manufacturer looking to see whether a model is eligible for subsidy under the terms of the scheme. How do I apply for Plug-in Van Grant eligibility?

Vehicle manufacturers who want to apply for their vehicle model to be eligible for subsidy under the scheme will need to make a formal application. To do this, you will require an application pack and associated guidance. You can request this by submitting a request to olev.enquiries@olev.gsi.gov.uk

See our Electric Car Guide

See our Renault Kangoo Van ZE road test

Toyota will have a number of green products on display at the Geneva motor show, including the Yaris Hybrid; theFT-Bh concept, a low emissions affordable city car; and the NS4 and FCV-R concepts.

Toyota Yaris Hybrid

The Yaris Hybrid will be shown for the first time in its production-ready form, ahead of going sale in June this year. Powered by a re-engineered Hybrid Synergy Drive, it will be Europe’s first full hybrid supermini, opening up the technology to a new customer group. Toyota claims that it will deliver the lowest emissions in its segment.

Toyota FT-Bh concept

Geneva marks the world debut of the FT-Bh concept, an ultra-lightweight, full hybrid city car study, designed to achieve low emissions within an economically viable production framework. The team that produced FT-Bh purposely avoided expensive materials and complex manufacturing processes, working instead only with those that are already commonplace in the auto industry.

Toyota NS4 concept

Toyota’s NS4 and FCV-R concepts are also being shown in Europe for the first time.

The NS4, pictured, is a next-generation plug-in hybrid vehicle, which Toyota says is designed to "address customer demand for added value from hybrid motoring, together with advanced design and a more involving drive". Whether this is true or not, it certainly looks better than many recent Toyota models.

Toyota FCV-R concept

The FCV-R represents Toyota’s next step towards mass production of hydrogen-powered vehicles, paving the way for the launch of a saloon-type fuel cell vehicle by 2015.

Toyota GT 86

The GT 86 may be seen as more sports car than green car, but it’s designed to be as lightweight as possible, so that automatically qualifies it for being one of the greener cars in class. The GT 86 is due to reach the road this summer.

Toyota diji

The Toyota diji concept – previously shown at last year’s Tokyo motor show as the Fun-Vii – is all about personalisation. The entire body, inside and out, serves as a display, with the driver being able to change colour and content at will. The process of displaying images or information is as simple as downloading an app. The car can also link to nearby vehicles and infrastructure to create an even more connected driving experience.

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