Commercial EVs in the UK: grants, rules and electric vans
How many electric vans are sold in the UK?
- 2025: a record 30,169 battery-electric vans were registered, up 36.2% on 2024. That was 9.5% of the new van market, short of the 16% ZEV mandate target. [1]
- 2026 so far: 22,527 electric vans were registered to the end of August, up 26.2% on the same period of 2025. August reached a record monthly share of 16.3%. [2]
What is the ZEV mandate for vans?
The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate requires each manufacturer to make a rising share of its new UK van sales zero-emission. [3]
| Year | Zero-emission share of new vans |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 10% |
| 2025 | 16% |
| 2026 | 24% |
| 2027 | 34% |
| 2028 | 46% |
| 2029 | 58% |
| 2030 | 70% |
| 2035 | 100% |
In April 2025 the government confirmed that new petrol, diesel and hybrid vans can still be sold until 2035, and gave manufacturers more flexibility to meet the targets. [4]
How much is the plug-in van grant?
| Van size (gross vehicle weight) | Grant |
|---|---|
| Small van, under 2.5 tonnes | 35% of the price, up to £2,500 |
| Large van, 2.5 to 4.25 tonnes | 35% of the price, up to £5,000 |
- The dealer takes the grant off the price at the point of sale. You don't apply yourself. [5]
- To qualify, a van must emit less than 50g/km of CO2 and cover at least 60 miles with zero emissions. [5]
- The scheme has been extended to at least the end of the 2026/27 financial year. Check the current rates on GOV.UK. [6]
Can I drive an electric van on a car licence?
Yes, up to 4.25 tonnes. Since 10 June 2025, anyone with a standard category B (car) licence can drive a zero-emission van weighing up to 4.25 tonnes, and the five hours of extra training previously required has been dropped. Electric vans need the extra allowance because their batteries add weight that would otherwise eat into payload. [7]
How are electric vans taxed?
- Van benefit charge: £0 for zero-emission vans, compared with a flat £4,170 for other vans used privately in 2026/27. [8]
- Vehicle tax (VED): since 1 April 2025, electric vans pay vehicle tax at the same rate as petrol and diesel vans. [9]
- Chargepoints: businesses can claim a 100% first-year allowance on new EV chargepoints until 31 March 2027 (Corporation Tax) or 5 April 2027 (Income Tax). [10]
Do electric vans pay the Congestion Charge, ULEZ or Clean Air Zone charges?
- London Congestion Charge: the full exemption for electric vehicles ended on 25 December 2025. From 2 January 2026 the daily charge is £18, and electric vans registered for Auto Pay get a 50% discount, so they pay £9. The van discount falls to 25% from March 2030. [11]
- ULEZ and Clean Air Zones: these charge vehicles that don't meet emission standards. Fully electric vans meet them, so they don't pay.
What charging grants are there for businesses?
- Depot Charging Scheme: £66 million across two application windows (2026/27 and 2027/28) for businesses running electric vans, HGVs or coaches. It pays up to 75% of the cost of depot charging, up to £1 million per organisation. [12]
- Workplace Charging Scheme: £500 per socket from 1 April 2026, for up to 40 sockets. It runs until 31 March 2027, which the government has said will be the final year. [13]
Which electric vans are on sale in the UK?
These are examples by size. Availability, prices and range change often, so check with the manufacturer.
| Size | Examples |
|---|---|
| Small | Ford E-Transit Courier; Citroën ë-Berlingo, Peugeot e-Partner, Vauxhall Combo Electric, Fiat E-Doblò, Toyota Proace City Electric; Renault Kangoo E-Tech, Nissan Townstar EV, Mercedes-Benz eCitan |
| Medium | Ford E-Transit Custom; Kia PV5 Cargo; Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo; Mercedes-Benz eVito; Citroën ë-Dispatch, Peugeot e-Expert, Vauxhall Vivaro Electric, Fiat E-Scudo, Toyota Proace Electric |
| Large | Ford E-Transit; Renault Master E-Tech; Mercedes-Benz eSprinter; Citroën ë-Relay, Peugeot e-Boxer, Vauxhall Movano Electric, Fiat E-Ducato; Farizon SV; Maxus eDeliver 9 |
Due in late 2026: the new Renault Trafic E-Tech. [14]
Sources
- SMMT 2025 van market results, via Motor Transport: motortransport.co.uk
- SMMT August 2026 van registrations, via Motor Transport: motortransport.co.uk
- ZEV mandate van targets, Van Fleet World: vanfleetworld.co.uk
- ZEV mandate changes, April 2025, BVRLA: bvrla.co.uk
- How the plug-in van grant works, Auto Express: autoexpress.co.uk
- Plug-in van grant extension, Parkers: parkers.co.uk; current rates: GOV.UK
- Electric van licence changes, Fleet News: fleetnews.co.uk
- Van benefit charge 2026/27, GOV.UK: gov.uk
- Vehicle tax for electric vehicles, GOV.UK: gov.uk
- First-year allowances for chargepoints, GOV.UK: gov.uk
- Congestion Charge changes, TfL: tfl.gov.uk; CV Show news: cvshow.com
- Depot Charging Scheme, NI Business Info: nibusinessinfo.co.uk
- Workplace Charging Scheme, GOV.UK: find-government-grants.service.gov.uk
- Upcoming electric vans, Parkers: parkers.co.uk