- Changes to government's Plug-in Van Grant
- Any van with a combustion engine — including plug-in hybrids — now excluded
- Vans must produce zero tailpipe emissions and offer a minimum zero-emission WLTP range of 60 miles
- Bad news for Ford Transit Connect PHEV and Volkswagen Caddy eHybrid
The UK government has tightened the rules around the Plug-in Van Grant, meaning only fully electric vans now qualify for support.
Any van with a combustion engine — including plug-in hybrids — is now excluded from the scheme, signalling a clear move towards battery-electric-only incentives.
Under the revised criteria, eligible vans must produce zero tailpipe emissions and offer a minimum zero-emission WLTP range of 60 miles.
While the number of affected models is relatively small, the change does remove all plug-in hybrid vans from the grant. Vehicles now excluded include the Ford Transit Connect PHEV, LEVC VN5, and Volkswagen Caddy eHybrid.
The update reinforces the government’s position that hybrids are no longer seen as part of its long-term decarbonisation strategy for light commercial vehicles.
For fleets already mid-purchase, there is some good news. Vehicles submitted through the grant portal before the rule change will still be honoured, but any new applications must now meet the updated zero-emission requirements.
Grant values themselves remain unchanged, with £2,500 available for small electric vans and £5,000 for large electric vans.
The timing of the decision is notable. Battery-electric vans accounted for just 9.4% of UK LCV registrations in 2025, falling well short of the government’s 16% target. Removing grant support for plug-in hybrids may make the transition clearer, but it also removes a stepping stone for fleets not yet ready to move fully to electric.
For buyers weighing up their next van, the message is clear: if grant support matters, a fully electric van is now the only option.
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