The Department for Transport has announced it is increasing the discounts applied to electric trucks as it forges ahead with the ban on sales of new diesel lorries, due for 2040.
Describing the increased grants as a “boost for business”, the DfT has earmarked a further £18m for the Plug-in Truck Grant, though this is only enough to increase the discount until March 2026.
The maximum discount now stands at £120,000 for 26-tonne-plus lorries, £80,000 for 18t to 26t trucks, £60,000 for mid-size trucks (12t-18t), and £20,000 (up from £16,000) for smaller vehicles weighing between 4.25 and 12 tonnes.
Keir Mather, Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation, says his department is “backing British businesses to go green by making electric lorries more affordable, helping hauliers to make the switch whilst turbocharging growth, investment and jobs in the sector”.
Some 408 of the 29,195 trucks registered in the first nine months of 2025 were electric, equivalent to 1.4% of the market, leaving 14 years for businesses and ministers to figure out what to do with the remaining 98.6% of sales.
Responding to the government’s announcement today, Jarrod Birch, head of policy and public affairs at ChargeUK, which represents the chargepoint sector, says: “We hope to see this new funding continue beyond March and be matched with support for the rollout of the widespread and affordable charging infrastructure required for HGVs too.”
