The government is investing £4 million to help businesses switch their vans and trucks to electric vehicles.

The money is part of the Plug-In Van Grant scheme which has been available since 2012 but sales have been limited, according to BEIS.

That’s why it has decided, alongside the Department for Transport, to extend the scheme to offer grants of up to £20,000 to those firms which aim to use electric trucks above 3.5 tonnes.

The government believes the announcement will stimulate demand for more electric vans and trucks and encourage new entrants into the market.

It adds electric vans and trucks have significant air quality benefits as they spend much of their time in towns and city centres and more than 96% of them are diesel-powered.

Business, Industrial and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said: “Our automotive sector is thriving with the world’s most popular electric car already made in the UK and we are forging ahead to deploy new engine technology to make low carbon vehicles mainstream and leading the way in driverless car technology.”

Earlier this month, the government also announced a £35 million funding to boost the uptake of ultra-low emission cars and scooters.

New clean technologies will be among the topics discussed at Energy Live 2016. Get your tickets here.

There are limited free tickets available for energy end users and university students.