U.K. fleets are benefiting from an extension to the Plug-in Car Grant period. Originally designed to encourage the take-up of electric cars by offering a grant to reduce the cost of electric cars, the deadline ended in June. The Office for Zero Emissions (OZEV), however, which administers the grant (worth up to £1,500), has moved to extend the delivery period of eligible orders in recognition of the delays to vehicle deliveries, which were seeing some grants at risk of lapsing.

Originally a supplying dealer had 12 months to claim the Plug-in Car Grant for an eligible vehicle, but with some vehicle lead times stretching to as many as 24 months, the grant was at risk of lapsing. Now the Office for Zero Emissions has announced a temporary extension for vehicle orders placed between 14 June 2021 and 31 March 2023 of 18 months.

The British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association (BVRLA), which had been lobbying for this grant extension period, welcomed the news. Commenting on the announcement, Toby Poston, director of corporate affairs at the BVRLA, said: “This is great news for a fleet industry that is still suffering from massive lead times on some of the most popular battery electric vehicles. We thank OZEV for taking decisive action to support fleet decarbonization.”