How UK fleets can make the most of the new £1 billion EV Government grant

30/04/26
2 min

The UK’s commercial vehicle industry finds itself at a pivotal moment in the transition from diesel power to alternative fuels. Fleet operators face mounting pressure to reduce emissions, while keeping costs under control and maintaining high levels of operational efficiency.

A Fraikin electric vehicle is parked at a charging station beside a building. The building features a large Fraikin sign with the tagline "You drive. We care." The vehicle displays text about being 100% electric with zero emissions.

Additionally, with fuel prices remaining unpredictable in the current geo-political climate, alongside tightening regulatory requirements, transport managers are having to make complex decisions in an environment where the stakes have never been higher.

This is why the Department for Transport’s decision to commit £1 billion to accelerating zero emission vehicles deployment and charging infrastructure installation is such a significant development. Many businesses are ready to accelerate their transition to electric vans and trucks, but to date, have been held back by high initial costs, limited charging access and the scale of operational change required. This latest funding has the potential to remove some of those constraints and give fleets the confidence to move forward at pace.

But what does this influx of government support mean for fleet operators planning their next moves?

What has changed?

UK businesses can now access two brand-new funding programmes: The Zero Emissions Truck and Van grant, and the Depot Charging Scheme (DCS).

Starting with the former, the new truck and van grant will offer up to £81,000 off the purchase price of the heaviest zero emissions truck, or up to a maximum of 40% of the total cost. The equivalent grant for van operators would see a discount of up to £5,000.

Meanwhile, the new DCS initiative could allow business and public authorities to save up to £1 million – up to 70% of the costs – when installing charging infrastructure for vans, coaches and electric heavy goods vehicles.

For fleets, this creates a clear opportunity to accelerate the transition to electric, while improving cost control and operational resilience.

How can Fraikin help?

Fraikin is ready to help customers of all sizes and across all sectors turn this support into practical progress.

We can work closely with businesses to identify grant-eligible vehicles, structure competitive Contract Hire solutions and design depot charging strategies that fit real-world fleet demands.

By bringing vehicles, infrastructure and asset management together, we can help our customers reduce their total cost of ownership, maintain uptime and move towards cleaner fleets at pace.

As government funding accelerates change across the sector, we are here to help fleets take full advantage and build a more resilient, zero emission future.