This month at a glance
Welcome to August’s Industry Insights blog, your monthly summary of all the sector-specific updates which will help you optimise your fleet.
Read on for news on the electric car grant, a cash boost to improve charging infrastructure, and a new legislation looking at emissions testing.
What’s New?
Electric Car Grant
The Transport Secretary announced a £650m grant scheme, worth up to £3,750 per car, as part of the Plan for Change.
To qualify, electric cars must have an RRP of £37,000 or less, with two levels of grant available depending on the carmaker’s sustainability standards.
As of 12th August, there have been 17 models approved for the lower grant band, and the DfT say they expect further models to be eligible in the coming weeks.
Draft legislation published to end employee car ownership schemes
HMRC has published legislation to make vehicles supplied through employee car ownership schemes (ECOS) liable for company car tax.
The implementation of the new rules will now be delayed for six months from April 2026 until 6 October 2026.
Double-digit fall for peak rate ultra-rapid EV charging
There was a 13% reduction in the peak rate for ultra-rapid EV charging (8p/kWg) during June 2025.
Recharge rates across all other speeds and times remained the same when compared to previous months.
Find out more
New drivers targeted in HGV road safety campaign
Young drivers under the age of 30 account for a quarter of all car and van drivers seriously injured in collisions involving HGVs. To combat this, National Highways has joined forces with Red Driver Training to encourage all drivers to ‘Know the HGV Zones’.
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Legislation on emission testing
The Government will introduce legislation to reduce the impact of a hike in company car tax from a new, stricter emissions test for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV).
The Treasury has confirmed that the DfT will launch a consultation in “due course” on proposals to mandate the Euro 6e-bis emission standard. This would apply to all new car and van registrations from April 2026.
Find out more
Cash boost for charging
The Government has committed £63m to help break down the barriers to operating EVs, and boost charging infrastructure across the UK. This includes:
- £25m earmarked for local authorities to install cross-pavement technology.
- £30m to help fleets develop depot charging facilities.
- £8m used to power electric ambulances and medical fleets across more than 200 NHS sites.
HGV News
Government launches new depot charging scheme
Cenex and the Energy Saving Trust has been chosen to deliver the UK Government’s new depot charging scheme, which will reduce the cost of charging infrastructure for fleets by up to 75%.
The £30m fund is expected to support the installation of more than 3,000 van and 200 HGV charge points. The scheme will provide targeted financial support to assist businesses and local authorities in installing the necessary infrastructure for charging zero-emission heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), vans, and coaches.
Nissan unveils charging station for electric HGVs
A new £1.4m charging station for electric heavy goods has gone live at Nissan’s Sunderland plant.
The facility has seven charging stations, capable of powering 10 electric HGVs simultaneously. It also supports 60 e-HGV deliveries to the plant daily and represents the plant’s journey towards electrifying its supply chain.
LCV Market update
Iveco acquired by Tata Motors
JLR-owned Tata Motors will acquire Italian truck manufacturer Iveco in a £3.3bn deal.
The deal aims to combine product lines, geographic footprints, and industrial strengths between both companies, with the intention to form a global commercial vehicle company with £19bn in revenue and a focus on creating zero emission vans and trucks.
Used electric van prices ‘stable’ after falling by almost a third
Over the course of two years, sales of electric vans have almost doubled due to prices falling by nearly a third.
Van offloading offences increase with fines hitting £390k
DVSA data suggests there were 208 convictions for overloading of light goods vehicles in FY24/25, compares with 187 in the previous year.
The 208 convictions resulted in fines totalling £391,964.90 - £71,000 more than 23/24.
Stellantis to end hydrogen fuel cell programme
Stellantis has announced that it will end its hydrogen fuel cell programme. In a statement, the company blamed “limited availability of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, high capital requirements, and the need for stronger consumer purchasing initiatives”.
LCV Fair Wear and Tear Guide updated by BVRLA
An updated edition of the BVRLA’s LCV Fair Wear and Tear guide has been published.
The guide provides clearer standards and guidance for managing vans through to the time of return and gives additional clarity on a range of safety areas.
New LCVs on the horizon
Skoda launches Enyaq Cargo electric commercial vehicle
Skoda UK has launched a commercial cargo variant of its Enyaq fully electric SUV. Available in two models, the Enyaq Cargo offers a WLTP range of either 332 or 259 miles.
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GWM POER300 marks brand’s re-entry to pick up market
GWM UK has unveiled the POER300 as its new entrant into the double-cab pick-up market.
The diesel-powered model will go on sale in September, with prices starting from £31,495.
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Vehicle registration update
- BEV registrations rise again, increasing year-on-year market share by 2.8% (21.3% vs 18.5%)
- To date, more than 250,000 new EVs have been registered in 2025 (254,666).
- The LCV market has seen eight months of decline, with the market falling by 5.1% in July.
- However, continuous growth has been made in the electric LCV market, with uptake up by 72.6%. This represents 8.8% of the overall market – a distance off the mandated 16%.
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