The Department for Transport (DfT) has extended its £120,000 discount on new electric trucks until March of this year, thanks to the introduction of an additional £18m.
Much like the Electric Car Grant, the Plug-in-Truck Grant enables fleet operators to access savings of up to £120,000 when buying a new electric truck.
With the introduction of new grant levels, operators can save up to £20,000 for smaller trucks (4.25t-12t), up to £60,000 on mid-sized trucks (12t-18t), up to £80,000 for larger trucks (18t-26t) and up to £120,000 for the largest lorries (26t+).
This extension forms part of a wider £318m plan for green freight, which cuts upfront costs on new lorries to help businesses access the lower running costs of electric HGVs.
Minister for aviation, maritime and decarbonisation, Keir Mather, said the government was backing 'businesses to go green by making electric lorries more affordable, helping hauliers to make the switch whilst turbocharging growth, investment and jobs in the sector'.
‘Our proposals will provide the certainty the industry has been calling for so that Britain becomes the best place for green investment.'
With the aid of this grant, companies such as Amazon and Marks & Spencer have rolled out more electric delivery trucks on UK roads, with ZEHID expected to introduce almost 300 zero-emission HGVs by March 2026.
John Boumphrey, UK country manager at Amazon UK, said: ‘The UK will be home to the largest number of electric heavy goods trucks in Amazon's global transportation network and the first of our record-breaking order of eHGVs are already on the road.'
The Government also plans to launch a consultation on the regulatory roadmap to phase out the sale of new non-zero-emission HGVs by 2040.
