Who wants to get cheap van insurance and a heavily discounted van all in one fell swoop? Don’t believe it’s possible? Think again.
The government has issued the list of ‘green’ vans that qualify for up to £8,000 discount (20%) as part of their Plug In Van Grant incentive. Of the seven included, four are available right now with the other three manufacturers’ models becoming available between now and May.
The criteria upon which the vans have qualified are exacting but, if met, all lead to cheap van insurance as well as the heavily discounted list price. The qualifying standards for the ultra low carbon emission vans is as follows:
i. CO2 emission < 75g/km – simply put, each van has to emit less than 75 grams of carbon for every kilometre travelled. This is well below the threshold set for the new low-band qualification for company vehicle tax, so by opting for one of the vans on the list you are not only going to get the cheapest van insurance quotes but also the driver will save on their personal tax
ii. Minimum 60 miles on one charge or 10 miles on electric-power only mode for hybrid vans – obvious milestone in itself but, put into practicality, it is suitable for businesses whose traversing takes them around town on several multi-drop local deliveries and collections but is perhaps unsuitable for motorway and distance driving
iii. Top speed > 50mph – the engine has to reach fifty miles per hour and performance remain unaffected with maximum payload on board; for businesses suited to this type of van, this should not inhibit usage. With a top speed around this mark, you are guaranteed cheap van insurance as you are less likely to cause considerable damage than a van that can reach 70mph+
iv. Meet EU qualified safety standards – speaks for itself.
The actual manufacturers that have had their models incorporated are diverse and global. Some you will have heard of, others are not such household names. From Azure Dynamics (who? you say – wait for it…) we have the Ford Transit Connect Electric (ah, now you know!). Mercedes Benz also make the list with their Vito E-CELL as well as another EU manufacturer, Renault, with their multi-award-winning Kangoo ZE. And to complete the models available now, there’s the Smith Electric Smith Edison, plus the variations on the model, namely SE2 & SE3.
Coming later in the year, we have 2 models from Faam due for UK release in March, the aptly named Ecomile and from the same family, the Jolly 2000 (and: no, that’s not a remake of a Fools and Horses episode, it is an electric van). Then finally in May, Mia-electric plan to bring us the Mia U.
If you have your eye on one of the ultra low-carbon models, you could save a packet in minutes by comparing cheap van insurance quotes using our online form.