Today the Government has confirmed that six new electric vehicles, including two Ford models with the maximum £3,750 discount, are now eligible under the Electric Car Grant (ECG) scheme. A total of 28 models are now on the list for grants of either £3,750 or £1,500.
The latest additions form part of the government’s £650 million plan to put money back in people’s pockets and make it cheaper and easier than ever before to own an EV. The plans hope boost the UK’s automotive industry, a key sector identified in the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy, which supports 133,000 jobs in the UK, and a further 320,000 jobs in the wider economy.
It comes as recent Autotrader data shows the ECG is driving growth across the sector, with eligible car models seeing up to an 80% increase in interest.
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said:
We’re putting money back in people’s pockets and making it easier and cheaper for families to make the switch to electric, by delivering discounts of up to £3,750 on EVs.
Our measures are driving competition in the UK EV market, boosting economic growth and supporting jobs and skills as part of our Plan for Change.
In total, the government is investing over £4.5 billion to turbocharge the switch to EVs for both industry and consumers, securing the UK’s position as a world-leader in EV adoption – with Britain Europe’s largest EV market in 2024 and sales up almost a third so far this year.
More models are expected to be approved in the coming weeks as manufacturers’ applications are assessed against the scheme’s sustainability standards, ensuring only the cleanest cars are eligible.
The new models announced today are:
- Ford Puma Gen-E – £3,750 discount
- Ford E-Tourneo Courier – £3,750 discount
- PEUGEOT E-308 – £1,500 discount
- PEUGEOT E-408 – £1,500 discount
- DS DS 3 – £1,500 discount
- DS Nº4 – £1,500 discount
See a list of cars eligible for the Electric Car Grant.
Lisa Brankin, Ford UK Chair and Managing Director, said:
We welcome the government’s decision to accelerate the transition to electric mobility and are proud that Ford’s commitment to sustainability has been recognised with the full EV grant.
Nicola Dobson, Managing Director at PEUGEOT UK, said:
With 6 of our all-electric models now confirmed for the Electric Car Grant, PEUGEOT is proud to give customers more opportunities to benefit from lower upfront costs and greater choice.
From the popular E-208 through to the capacious E-RIFTER, and now E-308 and E-408, we have one of the broadest electric line-ups on the market.
This government support is welcome to help make the switch to electric more accessible and give consumers greater confidence to choose the electric PEUGEOT that best fits their lifestyle, while driving forward the UK’s transition to cleaner mobility.
The ECG is targeting one of the main barriers to consumers going electric, with people often citing upfront costs as an obstacle to switching. The discounts are designed to bring prices down, so they more closely match equivalent petrol and diesel vehicles.
The government is also powering up confidence in Britain’s charging network, with more than 83,000 public charging devices currently available – with a new one added every half an hour over the last 12 months – and over 100,000 more to come from government’s £381 million Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund alone.
In a further bid to bring down costs and encourage people to make the switch, the government announced a £63 million charging package in July, which included funding to make charging at home more accessible, meaning EV owners without a driveway can run their EVs for as little as 2p per mile.
Edmund King, AA President, said:
Drivers frequently tell us that the upfront costs of new EVs are a stumbling block to making the switch to electric. It is great to see some of these more substantial £3,750 discounts coming online because for some drivers, this might just bridge the financial gap to make these cars affordable.
As more cars qualify for the biggest savings, more drivers will be tempted to go electric.
Ian Plummer, Commercial Director at Autotrader, said:
The Electric Car Grant prompted the highest uptick in consumer demand for EVs in 3 years on Autotrader, and interest in cars priced below £37,000 almost doubled.
Half of consumers say price is the biggest barrier to going electric, so it’s fantastic to see the first tranche of models qualify for the full £3,750 grant.
With additional money off from both the industry, which has launched additional offers and grants and government, annual running costs savings of up to £1,500 and 9 in 10 EV drivers saying they wouldn’t go back, now’s a great time to consider going electric.
Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), representing car and commercial retailers across the UK, commented:
“NFDA welcomes the addition of further models to the Electric Car Grant scheme. Cost has consistently been the number one barrier to EV adoption, and this expansion will help make electric vehicles more attainable.
“Franchised dealers are EV ready, but the perception that EVs do not yet offer value for money has slowed sales. The inclusion of the Ford Puma Gen-E and e-Tourneo Courier at the maximum £3,750 discount is a significant step in helping more drivers make the switch.”
