Government funds and slashes red tape for electric vans but black cab drivers ask, where’s our support?
- Perry Richardson
- May 13
- 2 min read
Ministers have announced new MOT exemptions and financial backing worth thousands for electric vans, but the taxi industry is again questioning why public hire wheelchair accessible vehicles remain excluded from meaningful EV transition support.
Under the changes, electric vans weighing between 3.5 and 4.25 tonnes will move from heavy vehicle testing rules to standard Class 7 MOT requirements. From 1 June, newly registered electric vans within that weight bracket will also only require their first MOT after three years, bringing them in line with petrol and diesel vans.
The Department for Transport said the reforms would cut bureaucracy and reduce MOT costs by up to 60% for operators using heavier electric vans. Ministers said the changes are designed to remove barriers preventing businesses from transitioning to zero emission commercial fleets.
The announcement forms part of a wider £1 billion Government package supporting the switch to electric commercial transport, including grants of up to £5,000 for new electric vans and up to £81,000 for heavier zero emission trucks.
Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation Minister Keir Mather said the Government was “backing UK businesses to expand and decarbonise their fleets” while cutting “unnecessary red tape” for operators making the switch to electric vehicles.
Industry bodies welcomed the move, with British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association Chief Executive Toby Poston describing the changes as the removal of “major operational hurdles” for fleet operators.
However, the latest package has again triggered frustration within the licensed taxi sector, particularly among drivers reliant on wheelchair accessible vehicles. Taxi representatives have repeatedly argued that public hire fleets provide a regulated public transport service yet at the moment receive no targeted support compared with other commercial vehicle sectors.
Unlike many private business fleets, wheelchair accessible taxis often require larger and heavier purpose-built vehicles, creating additional cost pressures when transitioning to electric powertrains.
While businesses purchasing electric vans can access grants and now benefit from reduced testing burdens, many taxi drivers and fleet owners argue there has been little equivalent focus on supporting public hire transport providers carrying disabled passengers and vulnerable users since the Plug-in Taxi Grant (PiTG) was phased out.
The issue remains particularly acute in the UK’s major cities where licensing policies increasingly push drivers towards zero emission capable vehicles. Taxi trade groups have warned that without further financial backing the number of accessible transport services available could continue to drop.
The Government says more than two million electric vehicles are now on UK roads, with one in four new car sales fully electric. Ministers have also pointed to £7.5 billion in wider EV transition funding and more than 120,000 public charge points now available nationwide.
For many in the taxi industry, though, the latest support package risks reinforcing concerns that commercial delivery fleets are receiving priority treatment while regulated public transport operators carrying wheelchair users are left behind in the transition to net zero.
