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The A3 Electric Vehicle Grant and how it applies to you

Electric vehicle (EV) plans in the UK aren’t just kept to coverage of individual vehicles and institutions – the very infrastructure of our roads, villages, towns and cities are changing to accommodate this exciting change. And with these changes also come more EV grants. In this blog, we explore the A3 Electric Vehicle Grant and explain what that means for you as you make the switch over to an EV.

As part of the Electric Towns and Cities Initiative (ETCI), National Highways have invested £11 million into Guildford’s surrounding area to get it prepared for EV usage. This part of the country is particularly problematic when it comes to emission levels – the part of the A3 that runs through Guildford consistently exceeds nitrogen dioxide emissions and is the highest on the Strategic Road Network in England outside of London. To improve people’s health, the environment and air quality councils have come up with a grant scheme that is split into three components. In this section, we’ll explore what each part consists of and how it can make a difference to your driving expenses and journey.

A3 Electric Vehicle Grant Scheme

This grant is for businesses and charities that use the A3 to get into Guildford. £5,000 is offered for a small electric light commercial vehicle and £10,000 for a large if they change over from a diesel- or petrol-powered van to an all-electric motor. Purchase of the fully electric van needs to go through an ETCI-accredited dealer.

Eligibility for this grant is conditional on businesses doing at least 150 annual journeys – approximately 3 trips a week or 12 per month – and covers the A3 between the A31 Farnham junction and Woodbridge Hill junction to the A25 and A322.

Rapid charging network

Electric charging networks are expanding across the country, but there’s a real emphasis on their development in Surrey as they combat their carbon emissions issues. In order to accommodate and incentivise businesses further, part of the investment has gone into building large parking bays and cables that can easily hold a commercial van while it rapidly charges and can get back on the road as soon as possible.

This is specifically designed for commercial electric vans, with longer and wider bays and large cables designed to accommodate them to charge efficiently.

Active travel programme

This part of the scheme is designed to assist local employers in and around Guildford to promote eco-friendly transport alternatives and encourage their employees to make the change to alternative modes of transport.

Part of their promotion includes:

·       A salary sacrifice scheme that enables employees to make a seamless and beneficial switch to electric cars

·       Using buses and other forms of public transport

·       Cycling to work

·       Car share schemes

·       Installing electric car charging points

If this area is somewhere that impacts your commuting and working schedule, then at Hendy we highly recommend you take full advantage of this scheme. You can apply online if your business and working needs make you eligible for this fantastic grant. What’s more, if you have any further questions about electric vehicle grants, please get in touch with our expert team, who will happily discuss these with you and help you move to the outcome that best suits your budget and needs. For electric deals that will spearhead the future, that’s Hendy!

Information is subject to change at any time. Hendy cannot be held accountable for any declined applications.