Government offers landlords access to £350 electric vehicle charge point grants. Subscribe to the Electric Vehicle News Bitesize Podcast for FREE.

Government ministers have introduced electric vehicle “charging point grants” for landlords to encourage more British households to own electric vehicles.

Under the scheme, both private and commercial landlords can claim up to 75% of the cost of charging points as Electric Vehicle ownership soars – an increase of 186% since 2020, official figures show.

The new scheme replaces the Home Charging Scheme for Electric Vehicles and offers letting companies across the UK up to £350 off installation of an Electric Vehicle Chargepoint if they own a space – previously only tenants could use the scheme.

Landlords must be VAT registered or registered at the company building to be eligible.

A related system allows tenants to apply for similar grants on their own behalf. Therefore, if a landlord does not meet the registration requirements – for example, if they are not a company or VAT registered landlord – tenants can apply for the grant themselves to install charging points.

Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at industry association Propertymark, said: “The announcement is welcome and given the size of the private rental sector and the important role it will play in a greener future, we hope that over time this will be the case. The range of landlords who will continue to be eligible will expand to meet the changing needs of tenants and help achieve our net zero goal.”

Several conditions must be met to be eligible for the grant, which will be administered by the DVLA on behalf of the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles and will initially be applied through a manual process, with digital services expected in summer 2022.

Harrogate College is launching a new course to support the region’s transition to electric vehicles.

Harrogate has been revealed as one of the least prepared regions in the UK to support the Electric Vehicle switch.

The study found that public charging stations are scarce in the region, which provides only one charging station for 134 hybrid or electric vehicles.

This has prompted Harrogate College to offer technical courses to support the electric vehicle sector, which will be launched in September.

The college also purchased some chargers for training.

Principal Danny Wild said:

“As a college committed to sustainability, we are determined to support emerging green technologies, including those that will enable our transition to greener forms of transport.

“We have been developing our curriculum to provide electric vehicle infrastructure courses, while tailoring our motor vehicle courses to meet the changes in car ownership.

“In doing so we have also been working closely with local firms so we can provide the appropriately skilled, work-ready students they need.

“The electric vehicle sector is a rapidly growing one that represents a fantastic opportunity for both our students and local businesses, and our ever-evolving range of courses will keep adapting to serve that.”

APS operates a nationwide Electric Vehicle charger repair and maintenance service from its Harrogate headquarters, and the company has partnered with the academy to establish a training and recruitment program to meet the growing demand for Electric Vehicle service technicians.

Business Development Manager John Dyson said that was one of many reasons for optimism.

He said:

“It is ironic that Harrogate has been criticised so strongly for a lack of action over installing Electric Vehicle chargers, when there actually is so much going on behind the scenes.

“Recent announcements by Transdev that all Harrogate buses are to be electrified, and Harrogate Borough Council, which is to install 34 charge points in local car parks, gives a taste of just what is on its way!”

The college will introduce a new course, the Level 3 Award in the Installation and Commissioning of Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment, this September.

Electric and hydrogen car maker Tevva has opened a new R&D facility in the West Midlands, the same week that electric 4×4 car maker Munro received a £750,000 grant.

Tevva already makes electric trucks in Tilbury, Essex, and will open a new line in the Thames Freeport area of ​​London in the coming months after securing funding for the location late last year. The overall goal is to deliver 3,000 hydrogen and electric vehicles annually from 2023.

Building on this progress, the company this week opened a research and development site at the MIRA Technology Park in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. The new facility will allow Tevva to test aerodynamics and conduct more extensive crash tests. Tevva also said it intends to collaborate more broadly with other engineering and research teams in the Technology Park and the West Midlands.

Around 1,000 staff will be recruited in the West Midlands to support the new Tevva factory.

In related news, Glasgow-based electric 4×4 manufacturer Munro Vehicles has secured a £750,000 investment this week from London-based social impact group Elbow Beach Capital.

The funding will help Munro Vehicles prepare production lines for its first-generation vehicles by the end of 2022, while the company prepares to deliver the first cars to customers in 2023. Funds will be used to hire new employees, expand customer reach and do more research on future prototypes.

Munro Vehicles has completed off-road testing of its Mark 1 vehicles, confirming that they have a maximum range of around 280km and can carry 1,000kg. The vehicles are designed to help companies in industries such as agriculture and forestry decarbonize transportation.

Over the past few weeks, edie and E.ON have been working closely together to deliver “Master Series” content, all aimed at helping the company accelerate the transition to electric fleets. Readers interested in this topic are encouraged to visit each aspect in turn at their convenience, including a free downloadable Business Guide report; 45-minute masterclass webinar and Net Zero Business Podcast. The E.ON team also wrote an exclusive blog for edie detailing why Electric Vehicle adoption is expected to continue rapidly into 2022 and beyond.

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