UK’s electric motorcycle industry welcomes retention of £500 plug-in grant

Source: MCN

On February 25, the UK government announced the roll-out of £120 million of additional funding to help speed up electric vehicle uptake, including the retention of a £500 grant against new electric motorcycles.

The funding is part of a larger scheme to support the shift towards zero-emissions transport before the planned phase-out of internal combustion engine (ICE) car and van sales by 2030. However, many in the motorcycle industry are concerned about the lack of certainty around any planned phase-out for ICE two-wheelers.

“It is really important that the inertia and uncertainty that’s regarding our role in transport across policy currently is ended,” said Neil Fletcher, Chair of the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) during its annual Industry Conference in February.

The MCIA’s figures show that registrations of electric motorbikes were down by 15.9% across February 2025 compared to the same month in 2024, with just 299 registered in the first two months of the year. This is despite a plug-in grant which means that battery-powered motorcycles priced up to £10,000 are eligible for 35% off, up to a maximum value of £500, and mopeds up to the value of £150.

Co-founder of electric motorbike brand Maeving Motorcycles, Will Stirrup, spoke to MCN: “For me, really, the key thing is missed opportunity. Getting more people onto electric two wheelers in urban environments [would be] significantly more environmentally friendly from a carbon production perspective than an electric car – just because of the smaller batteries.”

He continued, “More Government support would be really helpful in increasing uptake, but the products should speak for themselves. The attitude of most major motorcycle companies going ‘the technology is too far away’ well who’s going to change that? That needs to be you. We look at 2030 and absolutely plan on having a product that is equivalent or superior to an internal combustion engine, high-power bike, and we’re tiny.”

Dale Robinson, the UK Country Manager of US electric motorbike brand Zero Motorcycles, urged for more commitment from the government, claiming a lack of fixed phase-out dates and a previous scaling back of subsidies has sent out the wrong message. “We can go back to December 2021 when the Government announced that the £1500 subsidy for premium electric motorcycles was about to disappear, and we can chart the slowdown of sales from that point. The reason for it isn’t just affordability, it was more to do with the message that it sent – as it contradicted the fact that electric was the future.” From his viewpoint as a representative of a more premium brand that would not be eligible for the plug-in grant, he added that he would like to see electric motorbikes more readily available on company salary sacrifice schemes.

Increased charging costs of electric motorcycles were highlighted by Alec Sharp, Director of dealership English Electric Motor Co. “If they could charge up out and about at what they used to be able to – which was about a third of the cost – that would make a big difference for a lot of people.”