The A3 Electric Vehicle (EV) grant Scheme closed on 30 September 2024 for new applications.
Businesses with vouchers issued on or before 9th July 2024, have until the validity date on their voucher to complete their vehicle order through an accredited dealership.
Page contents
- How does the grant scheme work?
- Is the A3 electric vehicle (EV) grant compatible with other funding?
- What are the terms and conditions of dealer accreditation?
- What dealers need to do
- Any further questions?
We have a network of light commercial vehicle dealers who are accredited to the Electric Towns and Cities Initiative (ETCI) - Guildford.
The A3 EV grant scheme offered grants of £5,000 for a small and £10,000 for a large new fully electric van for businesses to switch from their diesel van. To be eligible businesses need to do at least 150 single journeys annually - that's approximately 3 single trips a week or 6 return trips a month - on the section of the A3 between A31 to Farnham junction and Woodbridge Hill junction to A25 and A322.
The new fully electric vans have to be purchased through an ETCI accredited dealer. Only franchised dealers can apply to be accredited.
The scheme closed on 30 September 2024 for new applications.
If a customer applied on 9 July or before, they must complete the purchase of their vehicle by the date of validity of their voucher. If they applied on or after 10 July 2024, they must place a vehicle order under the scheme by noon on 30 September 2024.
How does the grant scheme work?
Applications are now closed.
Applicants can only purchase eligible new fully electric vehicles (see electric light commercial vehicle eligible list) from accredited dealers.
If a customer applied on 9 July or before, they must complete the purchase of their vehicle by the date of validity of their voucher. If they applied on or after 10 July 2024, they must place a vehicle order under the scheme by noon on 30 September 2024.
The grant will be paid directly to accredited dealer on behalf of the applicant, to ensure a comprehensive audit trail, accountability of public funding and to reduce the risk of fraudulent activity. The grant can only be claimed on new vehicles at first registration. Post registration vehicles are not eligible.
Dealers will be given training and support to help the scheme run smoothly for all.
Here's how the grant process works:
- Confirm with applicant that they fit eligibility criteria and can provide evidence
- Business to apply for a grant online by noon on 30 September 2024. No money to be exchanged and no order placed before application
- Business application reviewed and approved by Surrey County Council (SCC)
- A voucher is issued to the applicant.
- The dealer confirms the vouchers validity and deducts the grant value from sale price.
- The grant is paid in trust to the dealership 3 days before completion/collection date. The grant is net of VAT, against the full price of the vehicle only, excluding any additional services which the dealer may provide and charge for
- Vehicle sale cannot be completed until the SCC approved telematics is installed and operating. Once the purchase is confirmed with full title guarantee, the money can be released from the trust to the dealership's business account
If a customer applied on 9 July or before, they must complete the purchase of their vehicle by the date of validity of their voucher. If they applied on or after 10 July 2024, they must place a vehicle order under the scheme by noon on 30 September 2024.
Is the A3 EV grant compatible with other funding?
The Plug In Grant offering £2,500 for a small van and £5,000 for a large van, can be claimed in conjunction with the A3 EV grant.
The A3 EV grant scheme may also be compatible with the following options:
- Finance, lease, cash on the remainder of the vehicle's cost
- Scrappage schemes if eligible
- Our decarbonisation loan programme (up to £25,000, up to 50% of vehicle costs) coming up in Spring 2024
What are the dealership accreditation criteria?
To be accredited a dealership must fulfil the following criteria
- Be a franchise dealership with physical premises
- Have been trading for at least 3 years
- Have a UK bank account in the Dealership's name
- Be VAT-registered
- Not or about to be in administration or bankrupt
- Must be Financial conduct authority (FCA) registered
- Must sell at least one vehicle from electric light commercial vehicle eligible list
What are the terms and conditions of dealer accreditation?
Before starting your application to become an accredited dealer, please read the ETCI - Guildford dealership Terms and Conditions carefully. The application process requires the Dealership to accept these terms and conditions, so it is important that the person making the application on behalf of the dealership is authorised to do so. Part of our eligibility checks may include validation checks to ensure that the person making the application on behalf of the Dealership is authorised to do so.
What dealers need to do
- Accreditation - closed
- Register to get accredited, you can see more information and link to apply in the accreditation section above
- Notify us of any changes to dealership details including bank details at etcidealerships@surreycc.gov.uk
- Promote the scheme to eligible businesses until 30 September 2024
- If you would like to receive a pop up banner to display in your premises or a digital copy of the applicant factsheet leaflet please get in touch with the team on etcidealership@surreycc.gov.uk
- Please use the scheme's social media and other assets until 30 September 2024.
- Van sale - only for business with a valid voucher
- Detailed processes are available on our dealer detailed processes page
- Do not take any sales orders until you are an accredited dealer.
- Wait for the business to supply you with the grant voucher.
- You will need to check the validity of any electric vehicle voucher us before confirming any sale– please read the voucher validation process for more information.
- Complete the voucher verification and sales order form by the deadline on the voucher
- Organise for telematics to be installed prior to vehicle handover to the applicant. You will need to allow at least 5 days for the telematics unit to be delivered to the dealership prior to telematics installation – please read the telematics process on our dealer detailed processes page for more information and contact details.
- Raise the sales order and tax invoice paperwork and provide a copy to the SCC team – please read the Grant Payment, Vehicle Handover and Delivery confirmation process on our dealer detailed processes page for more detailed information
- The grant will be paid to the dealership, on behalf of the applicant, not less than 72 hours before the sale is completed and the van collected.
- If for any reason the sale was not completed the dealer would inform SCC and repay the grant to SCC.
If a customer applied on 9 July or before, they must complete the purchase of their vehicle by the date of validity of their voucher. If they applied on or after 10 July 2024, they must place a vehicle order under the scheme by noon on 30 September 2024.
- Reporting change of details or fraud
- Detailed processes are available on our dealer detailed processes page
For the avoidance of doubt, the information in these pages does not supersede the Dealership Terms & Conditions you have entered into with SCC.
Any further questions?
If you have any questions about the scheme or the application process after reading the information on the website, please contact etcidealership@surreycc.gov.uk
