After a delay of about two weeks, the application period for the scheme officially opened on November 11. It was originally scheduled to reopen on October 28, but applications were not submitted as expected. Fleets now have until midday on 26 February 2027 to apply for a share of the £38m allocated to the scheme for the 2027/28 financial year.
The subsidies cover up to 60% of the costs of purchasing and installing charging points, as well as associated civil engineering works. The maximum grant is £1 million per applicant across all sites. The goal of the plan is to help companies overcome the initial costs of installing depot charging infrastructure for commercial electric vehicles.
The first application window, which closed in June 2026, offered £28 million for projects to be delivered during the 2026/27 financial year. At that stage, the government covered up to 70 percent of eligible costs.
Welcoming the next round of funding, Aymeric Larcher, managing director of Renault Trucks UK and Ireland, said: “Installing the charging facilities required to operate electric trucks represents a substantial investment and, for many operators, is one of the main barriers to making the switch.” He added: “This funding will help more businesses invest in the depot charging facilities they need, whether introducing electric trucks and vans for the first time or expanding their existing fleets.”
First announced in March, the Deposit Charging Scheme forms part of the Government’s wider £1bn commitment to accelerate the transition to zero-emission commercial vehicles and supporting infrastructure. In addition to infrastructure funding, the Zero Emission Truck and Van Grant scheme offers purchase incentives covering up to 40 per cent of the cost of an electric heavy duty vehicle, capped at £81,000. Electric vans are eligible for grants of up to £5,000. The plan itself has a budget of £170 million set aside until 2030.
fleetnews.co.uk
