Apply for a plug-in vehicle grant
How to apply for funding for plug-in vehicles as a car manufacturer or dealership.
The plug-in vehicle grant portal allows dealers to:
- submit claims for vehicle grants
- update existing orders
- check the status of existing orders
It is part of a secure website, developed and managed with a high level of security and data protection.
Customers buying a vehicle and wanting to claim for a vehicle grant do not require access the portal. Grants will be passed onto them by dealers at point of purchase.
Before logging in
You will need to read:
- the user guidance for the plug-in grant portal
- plug-in wheelchair accessible vehicle grants: eligibility and applications
- plug-in van and truck grant: eligibility and applications
- plug-in taxi grants: eligibility and applications
- plug-in motorcycle grant: eligibility and applications
To raise a new order, you will need your dealership reference number.
To search for an existing order, you will need:
- your plug-in grant application number
- your in-house reference number
- the customer’s name or vehicle registration number
Using the portal for the first time
Manufacturers new to the scheme need to email the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) at plugingrants@dft.gov.uk to request portal credentials and permissions.
New dealerships should speak to their manufacturer to have appropriate access created for them to log into the portal.
Once set up with an account, click forgotten password and follow the instructions when you log in for the first time. Your username is your email address.
All new user account requests must be received directly from manufacturers. There is no limit to the number of administrative users that can be linked to one dealer account.
Dealers should ensure that there are sufficient staff with access to and knowledge of how to use the portal to enable management of orders at all times.
Each portal administrator must have their own individual user account. Usernames and passwords should not be shared as this is a breach of security and data protection.
Ensure accounts are linked to the portal user’s own email address which is monitored regularly.
User accounts can only be linked to one dealer account at a time. There is no facility to create multi-dealer access. Users that require access to more than one dealer account are required to provide additional email addresses to create new user accounts.
To access the portal, javascript will need to be enabled on the browser.
Before you enter a grant into the portal
You must ensure that:
- the end customer has not exceeded grant limits per customer
- for multistage builds applying via route 2, Form D must be provided to the DVLA before entering the order onto the portal
- for wheelchair accessible vehicle conversions, information on the conversion must be provided to the DVLA before entering the order onto the portal
Dealers can add up to 10 vehicles per application. Note that if one vehicle is cancelled, all vehicles in that application will be cancelled.
Starting a new application
Click on Start new grant application at the top of the vehicle dashboard.
You will need to provide information on:
- whether the transaction is a lease purchase and, if so, provide the lease company details (this includes Motability orders)
- whether the vehicle is being purchased on finance and, if so, provide the finance company details
- the type of sale (private, business, fleet, sole trader or demonstrator)
- for taxi orders, the location the taxi will be operating from
- end customer details
- vehicle details
- expected delivery date
- purchase price
Orders should correlate with the invoice details. Therefore, it is important that a final price has already been agreed and the grant applied.
When the purchase price is entered, the grant rate will be automatically calculated. It is the dealer’s responsibility to review the grant value to ensure the correct amount has been returned.
End customer details must be the individual or business receiving the vehicle. They cannot be the lease company (or Motability) details. Ensure these are entered correctly as they cannot be amended once the order has been placed.
Orders cannot be transferred from different keepers. If end customer details change, the order must be cancelled and reapplied for.
OZEV reserves the right to request supporting evidence to confirm end customer details provided are accurate, and that orders are for the sole use of the business in question.
A demonstrator is a vehicle sold (wholesale) to either an independent dealer or a dealer owned by the manufacturer. The purpose of these vehicles is to allow potential customers to experience test drives.
Updating a grant application
It is the dealer’s responsibility to keep orders updated and monitor them throughout the delivery process.
Dealers will need to obtain and provide information based on the status of the order as it progresses. This includes the:
- vehicle identification number (VIN)
- vehicle registration mark (VRM)
- date of registration
- actual delivery date
- taxi licence number (for taxis only)
The taxi licence number is the taxi plate number displayed on hackney carriage or private hire vehicles.
Orders for demonstrator vehicles should enter demo in this field.
Order status
As an order progresses, its status will change. Dealers should track the status on the dashboard overview.
Dealerships outside your business group will not be able to see your orders.
You can click on the order ID for an overview of the application. A description will be given on what information is required for the application to progress to the next stage.
In pipeline
The order has been created before the vehicle identification number (VIN) has been attributed to the order.
Awaiting registration
The order has had the VIN assigned. Vehicle registrations mark (VRM) and the date of first registration are awaiting attribution. Orders should remain in this status until registration with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is complete.
Awaiting validation
Once vehicles are registered with DVLA, the vehicle details given in the order are checked against the DVLA vehicles record database.
Failed validation
The order has failed validations checks against the DVLA vehicles record database. The dealer will be notified with reasons explaining why the order failed validation.
Orders containing up to 3 vehicles will undergo real-time validation.
Orders of more than 3 vehicles will undergo an overnight check against DVLA’s vehicles enquiry service (VES).
Orders will not progress to the next status until all vehicles in the order have been successfully validated.
Passed validation
A transient state where the order has passed validation and before it moves on to pending delivery.
Pending delivery
After the vehicle(s) order has been validated against the DVLA vehicles record database but before an actual delivery date has been assigned to the order.
Awaiting casework
Where an order has failed validation several times, requires review or the order has been submitted prior to the completion of vehicle registration with DVLA.
Orders cannot be checked against the DVLA vehicles record database over the weekend.
If the vehicle is registered and details provided on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, the vehicle may fall to awaiting casework status by the Monday.
The portal administrators regularly review orders in awaiting casework and will provide instructions to dealers on any required amendments.
Awaiting payment
All required information needed to facilitate grant payments has now been entered successfully onto the portal (VIN, VRM, date of first registration and actual delivery date).
The order has now moved into a state waiting for the payment process to be actioned.
Completed
The payment file has been generated and is awaiting action by the Department for Transport (DfT) to pay manufacturers.
Awaiting audit
The order has been selected for audit and is waiting for the dealership to email invoices to the scheme administrators. Invoices must be submitted within 28 days of reaching this status. The email address is PlugInVehicleGrant@dvla.gov.uk.
Audit in progress
The scheme administrators have received the required invoice documentation and are in the process of auditing the order.
Audit success
The order has successfully passed audit and may proceed to entering remaining information to complete the order.
Audit rejected
The order has failed audit. Dealers will receive email notification explaining the reasons for failure and the required action.
On hold
The order has not had VRM or date of first registration details entered within 9 months of the order being created.
Orders will normally enter on hold status once they have been in the system for more than 9 months.
Such orders will not be reinstated except in exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of OZEV or if an extension to the usual 9-month deadline has been granted.
Dealers will need to email the scheme administrators at PlugInVehicleGrant@dvla.gov.uk to request the order is taken off hold.
Cancelled
The dealer or OZEV has cancelled the order.
How to update an order
To update an order with new information, search for the order in the overview dashboard and click on the Order ID to make any updates. The dashboard can be filtered by date or status.
Navigate to the bottom of the overview and press Open all. This will allow you to enter the next required piece of information.
Payment of grants
At the end of each month, OZEV will check with manufacturers that order details are correct.
If there are any discrepancies, a manufacturer may push orders back to an earlier status and dealers should confer with their manufacturer to check and resolve issues.
Once any issues have been resolved, OZEV will process respective payments so that dealers may be reimbursed for grant payments.
If you need help
To communicate with administrators of the system, email PlugInVehicleGrant@dvla.gov.uk.
Administrators will respond within 5 working days for enquiries and 10 days for audits.
The claim system email address is monitored daily excluding weekends and bank holidays.
Contact your manufacturer if:
- your dealership is not registered on the system
- you are unsure what information to put into the fields relating to make or model of the vehicle
If you are locked out of the system
If your login details are not recognised after several attempts, the system will automatically lock you out.
After 30 minutes you will be able to attempt login again. During this time, you will not be able to reset your password.
If you are still unable to login after 30 minutes, email PlugInVehicleGrant@dvla.gov.uk to have your account unlocked.
Updates to this page
Last updated 14 June 2022 + show all updates
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The plug-in car grant is no longer available with the exception of wheelchair accessible vehicles.
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First published.