Switched on taxis loan

If you want to buy a new electric, wheelchair accessible, hackney vehicle, driven for public hire, the loan can cover the cost of purchasing a vehicle eligible under the taxi category of the UK OZEV plug-in grant list.  

If you want to buy a new non-purpose-built electric taxi vehicle, the loan can cover the cost of:   

• electric cars (must cost £50,000 or less) – maximum loan amount £30,000 per vehicle 
• electric vans (must cost £50,000 or less) – maximum loan amount of £35,000 per vehicle 
• a new electric wheelchair accessible vehicle (eWAV) – maximum loan amount of £40,000. 

Our cost caps include VAT.  

If you want to buy a used electric, wheelchair accessible, hackney vehicle, driven for public hire,  the loan can cover the cost of purchasing one used, purpose-built, electric black cab (included in the UK OZEV Plug-in Grant list) up to a maximum loan amount of £50,000.  

If you want to buy a used, non-purpose-built, electric taxi vehicle, the loan can cover the cost of:   

• electric cars (must cost £30,000 or less) – maximum loan amount of £30,000 per vehicle  
• electric vans (must cost £30,000 or less) – maximum loan amount of £30,000 per vehicle 
• a used electric wheelchair accessible vehicle (eWAV) – maximum loan amount of £35,000 

Sales at these dealerships are conducted in-person, as well as through their online platforms. Dealerships must be accredited by the Motor Ombudsman or be part of a trade association signed up to the National Conciliation Service.  

Below are several approved associations. Please check that your chosen vehicle provider is listed with at least one of them.

• National Franchised Dealers Association  
• Independent Garage Association/Trust My Garage  
• Scottish Motor Trade Association  
• Retail Motor Industry Federation  

These dealerships must have an up-to-date website, own the vehicles for sale and have reputable customer support services, as well as robust warranty procedures in place.

Additionally, these dealerships must transparently outline, at the very least, a vehicle’s age, battery capacity, mileage and the interior and exterior condition of the vehicle(s) on any sale document(s) provided.  

I can’t get past the first step in the application when I use my phone.   

The transport application portal and form aren’t optimised for mobile devices or tablets, so we recommend using a desktop computer or laptop.  

Try using a different browser if you’re having difficulty with your default browser. We also advise clearing your browser history, cookies and caches. 

I can’t seem to start the application. What’s going on?   

Make sure to use the same email address when logging into your application portal that you used to refer yourself to the loan.  

Once you’re in the portal, make sure you’re selecting the correct loan reference number. 

If you continue to have difficulties, please email transportloans@est.org.uk.. Please ensure you include your LCT reference number in your email, a detailed explanation of the issue and screenshots or screengrabs of any error message that you see if possible. 

Can I get an update on my application?

We’re unable to provide general updates on applications while they are being processed within the 15 working day timeframe. 

Can I save my application and return to it later?   

Yes, by selecting the ‘next’ button in the application form. Don’t submit until you are sure you have entered all the correct information. 

Can I withdraw my application after receiving a loan offer? 

Yes, you can do this by emailing transportloans@est.org.uk. Your loan offer will automatically expire after 4 months if you have not submitted your claim documents. 

Can I withdraw my application after submitting my claim documents?  

Yes, you can withdraw your application, after submitting your claim documents, by emailing transportloans@est.org.uk. However, if they have already been processed it may not be possible to stop the payment. 

Can I withdraw my application after receiving payment? 

If you’ve received payment from us, and no longer want to purchase the vehicle, you must email transportloans@est.org.uk for details on how to return the funding. 

Any payments made towards the vehicle are at your own risk. You are not required to provide a reason if you choose to withdraw your application. Please note that purchasing a vehicle is entirely at your own discretion.   

What will I need to start my application?   

You should have an idea of how much money you would like to borrow and be able to provide an overview of your monthly finances, such as income and outgoings, which will be used to assess your ability to afford loan repayments. 

Required documents: 

• Your V5 registration certificate – we’ll need all pages of your certificate.  

• A bank statement from within the last three months.  

• If you’re applying as a sole trader or partnership, your most recent tax documents (SA103/SA100, SA800). 

When should I start looking for a vehicle?  

We recommend that you begin searching for a vehicle only after receiving a loan offer. Loan offers remain valid for up to two months, which gives you plenty of time to find the right vehicle.  

Our aim is to process all applications within 10 working days of receiving a complete submission. This approach helps minimise delays between choosing and purchasing a vehicle, so there’s no pressure to finalise a purchase before securing your loan offer. 

For a smooth application process, please follow the steps below: 

1. Submit your application along with all required supporting documents. 
2. We process your application within the agreed timeframe and issue a loan offer. 
3. You accept the loan offer within 14 days. 
4. You source your vehicle from an eligible dealership during the loan offer period. 
5. You upload the invoice and any other claim documents to your online portal within the loan offer period. 
6. We process your complete claim within 10 working days. 
7. The dealership verifies the invoice to confirm its authenticity. 
8. We process payment within an additional 3-5 working days. 

When selecting a vehicle, inform your dealer that you are using loan funds administered by Energy Saving Trust and provided by Transport Scotland, an agency of the Scottish Government. 

As part of our fraud prevention measures, we require dealerships to verify their invoices. Please ensure your dealership is aware of this requirement, as quick verification will speed up the payment process. 

Finally, confirm with your dealership the timelines outlined above, and remind them that we can’t process claims until they verify the invoice.  

Can I put down a deposit to secure the vehicle?  

Yes, but before proceeding, please ensure the dealership meets our eligibility criteria. We recommend waiting until you have a loan offer in place before making any payments, as deposits cannot be reimbursed if your application is unsuccessful. 

What about vehicle insurance?

We recommend checking vehicle insurance costs before purchasing, to make sure they align with your budget and expectations. 

Can my vehicle cost over the maximum loan amount? 

No. The vehicle cost cannot exceed the maximum loan amount. This includes any deductions you may receive from trading in a vehicle. Optional extras cannot be included in the vehicle cost. 

Can I also buy a charge point with this loan?  

No, but you may be eligible for funding to install a charge point at your home address through our domestic charge point grant fund. Visit our website for full eligibility criteria and more details on how to apply. Please note, the fund is subject to availability.

I’m a sole trader or individual. Is a credit check needed? 

A hard check is required to submit the application. This enables the lender to determine your eligibility for credit. 

What is a hard credit check? 

This is a thorough review of your credit report which displays your entire credit history. Hard credit checks are recorded on your credit report and can affect your credit score. 

I’m a business or limited company. Do I need to do a credit check? 

Your application will be credit checked by our finance team, based on the information provided at application stage. 

What if I fail the credit check? 

If you fail the initial credit check, we’ll send you information on the appeals process. If you fail the appeal, you will not be offered any loan funding. 

Can I still apply if I’m planning to use a finance agreement to help purchase the vehicle?  

Yes, but you must ensure that your finance agreement meets the loan eligibility criteria. The loan can’t be used to pay off another finance agreement and you must be the owner of the vehicle after purchase. 

Can I change my application after it’s submitted? 

You can’t edit information in the application after submitting the form. If you need to change something, please email transportloans@est.org.uk  

How can I check the status of my submitted application? 

You can check your application portal with the link you received to start the application or by clicking here. 

We aim to respond to complete, submitted applications within 10 working days. If information is missing or unclear, this will delay processing times.   

What happens after I receive a loan offer?  

You’ll receive a digital loan offer packet via email, which contains:  

• Loan offer letter – an instructional document outlining the next steps and how to claim your funds.  
• Loan agreement – a legal document outlining the terms and conditions of the loan, which you will need to sign, witness and return.  
• Claim form – a blank document you fill in with the information of the account that we will pay the loan funds to.  
• Direct debit form – a blank document you fill with the information of the account that your loan repayments will be made from.  
• Yoti link – within the loan offer letter, a security step to confirm your identity and address using the digital app, Yoti.   

How long is my loan offer valid for?   

We must receive all claim documents, including the invoice, on or before 22 February 2026. Loan offers are valid for up to four months from date of issue, however, no loan offer will be valid after 22 February 2026.  

Can I change my loan offer amount? 

There’s no need to contact us if you choose not to use the full loan amount. For example, if your vehicle costs less than your loan offer, we’ll simply pay the lower amount.  

If you want to increase your funding beyond what you have originally been offered, please contact transportloans@est.org.uk.  We’ll assess the revised request based on the affordability information in your application, and if approved, issue an amended loan agreement. 

The vehicle I listed in my application is no longer available, do I need to contact you? 

No. The loan offer is not linked to any specific vehicle. If you choose to source another vehicle, please ensure that both the vehicle and the dealership are eligible under the eligibility criteria. 

When will I receive the loan funds?  

To access funds, you’ll need to submit all the claim documents listed in your loan offer letter and complete the Yoti identity and address check. 

We aim to process a full claim within 15 working days, provided all the documents have been submitted and no information is missing. After approval of your claim documents, your funds will arrive in your bank account within a further five working days. 

What if the vehicle I’m claiming for is sold before my loan is fully processed? 

If your chosen vehicle has been sold and you wish to purchase a different vehicle, ensure your new vehicle fits all of the eligibility criteria and email your updated invoice to transportloans@est.org.uk. 

If you wish to purchase a different vehicle and increase your loan amount, you must contact transportloans@est.org.uk for approval. We’ll check if this vehicle is eligible for the loan and determine the eligible loan amount. Please allow at least five working days of additional processing time.  

Can my dealership send my final invoice to you directly? 

Yes, we encourage this because when it’s sent directly, we won’t have to verify your invoice with the supplier. 

Why have I received a payment that is less than I was offered?  

The amount you receive will be based on the final eligible loan amount, determined by the loan criteria and the invoice submitted with your claim. As a result, the final loan payment may be lower than the amount originally offered. 

If this happens, the revised amount will be shown in your payment confirmation letter and may differ from the payment schedule outlined in your original loan agreement. 

Bank details 

To prevent delays, such as rejected payments, input your bank details exactly as they appear on your nominated account. 

We will contact you to resubmit your details if a payment cannot be made due to errors with the bank details submitted. 

What is the payment timeline?

We aim to process all payments within our agreed timeframes, but this may not be possible during busy periods. 

If you haven’t received your loan funds within the expected timeframe—15 working days for processing, plus an additional 5 working days for payment—please contact us at transportloans@est.org.uk. 

Please note that we’re only able to respond to queries if your application or payment has exceeded the expected timeframe. 

What if I am no longer the owner of the vehicle before my loan has been fully repaid? 

If you are no longer the owner of the vehicle you must inform us immediately by emailing transportloans@est.org.uk.