What is the Plug-in Taxi Grant?

Large-scale adoption of low-emission vehicles is set to pave the way for a greener, cleaner future, but, as beneficial as these vehicles are globally, they have a reputation for having a slightly higher price tag.

The key to successful and widespread EV adoption is removing as many of these roadblocks as possible. Which brings us to the UK government’s next initiative; the Plug-in Taxi Grant.

Aiming to tackle every area of urban transportation, this grant is targeted towards private-hire vehicles, or more plainly, taxis. The Plug-in Taxi Grant (PiTG) has been introduced to support the uptake of purpose-built ULEV taxis by narrowing the cost discrepancies between old-style combustion engine vehicles and their traditionally more expensive ultra-low emission counterparts.

How much funding is available?

Unlike other similar grants, the Plug-in Taxi Grant (PiTG) is applied to eligible vehicles before purchase. Depending on the range, emissions and design of the vehicle, the government will subsidise up to £6000 of the cost to purchase.

As the grant is automatically applied for buyers, the responsibility for applying for the grant belongs to the vehicle manufacturer, who must provide proof that the vehicle meets the sustainability requirements outlined by the government. Full details of the application process can be found on the government website.

Depending on these results, eligible taxis are allocated into 1 or 2 categories based on their carbon emissions and zero-emission range.

Category 1 PiTG:

● Up to £6000

● A zero-emission range of 70 miles or more and emissions of less than 50gCO2/km

Category 2 PiTG:

● Up to £3000

● A zero-emission range of 10 to 69 miles and emissions of less than 50gCO2/km