Scottish local authorities have electrified a greater proportion of their fleet vehicles than many other parts of the UK, with around 17% of local authority fleet vehicles now operating as electric vehicles. Since 2014, Transport Scotland has provided more than £60 million in funding to support public sector fleet decarbonisation. While significant challenges remain, the electric vehicle and charging infrastructure markets have matured considerably. As a result, public bodies increasingly need to plan for fleet decarbonisation without relying solely on grant funding.

The following UK Government grants remain available:

• The Plug-in Vehicle Grant supports the purchase of eligible wheelchair-accessible vehicles, motorcycles, taxis, vans and trucks. The vehicle seller applies the discount at the point of purchase. Grant values vary depending on the vehicle type and weight, ranging from £500 for some motorcycles to up to £25,000 for large trucks.
• The Workplace Charging Scheme provides support towards the cost of installing charging infrastructure, offering up to £350 per socket. Organisations can claim support for up to 40 charge point sockets for fleet vehicles, staff vehicles or both.

This section outlines strategies that public bodies can use when procuring vehicles to make fleet decarbonisation financially viable without grant funding. These include improving vehicle efficiency, using whole-life cost assessments to inform procurement decisions, and exploring alternative approaches to funding charging infrastructure.