Labour has added four new models to its Electric Car Grant offer, just days after Chancellor Rachel Reeves backed the scheme with an extra £1.3billion in funding.
Drivers will now be able to save a staggering £3,750 off the price of four new electric vehicles as part of the Government’s push for thousands of motorists to ditch their petrol and diesel vehicles in favour of EVs.
The expansion of the Electric Car Grant will see the Mini Countryman, Renault 4, Renault 5, and Renault Alpine A290 included in the upper tier of the incentive.
Motorists can now benefit from eight models in the maximum discount, alongside the Citroen e-C5 Aircross Long Range, Ford E-Tourneo Courier, Ford Puma Gen-E, and Nissan Leaf.
It follows the Chancellor’s decision to boost the Electric Car Grant with an additional £1.3billion in funding, to take the total incentive scheme to almost £2billion.
Since its launch in July, more than 40,000 drivers have already made use of the Electric Car Grant, as the Government looks to accelerate the transition to EVs.
Record EV sales were seen in September and October, with electric vehicles now making up around a quarter of new car sales in the UK.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the latest expansion would give drivers an even larger range of electric vehicles to choose from when making the switch.
Four new models have been added to the Electric Car Grant
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RENAULT/ALPINE/MINI
“We’re doubling down on our drive to help people buy EVs, extending the grant to push down costs and boosting charging access with a further £200million to expand the charging network across the UK,” she added.
The Electric Car Grant has also boosted interest in second-hand EVs, with data from Autotrader showing demand for eligible models increasing by over 100 per cent.
Ian Plummer, Chief Commercial Officer at Autotrader, said the additional £1.3billion was helpful for motorists looking to switch, even if they opt for a second-hand model.
He added that the £200million expansion to the nation’s charging infrastructure will help give drivers the confidence to move away from petrol and diesel.
The latest data from Zapmap shows that electric vehicle owners have more than 86,000 across 44,142 locations.
Commenting on the extension of the ECG, Vicky Edmonds, chief executive of EVA England, described the move as “encouraging”.
She added: “This is a welcome boost for those drivers who buy new, helping to bring down upfront costs and widen choice.
“But if the transition is going to work for everyone, we also need to see a growing pipeline of affordable new electric models and real support for the used EV market. Only then will all drivers be able to benefit from the switch to electric.”
The Ford Puma Gen-E is one of eight vehicles eligible for the £3,750 Electric Car Grant incentive
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FORDEligible EVs for the £3,750 Electric Car Grant
- Alpine A290
- Citroen e-C5 Aircross Long Range
- Ford E-Tourneo Courier
- Ford Puma Gen-E
- Mini Countryman Electric
- Nissan Leaf
- Renault 4
- Renault 5 (52 kWh)
Eligible EVs for the £1,500 Electric Car Grant
- Citroen e-C3
- Citroen e-C3 Aircross
- Citroen e-C3 Urban Range
- Citroen e-C4
- Citroen e-C4 X
- Citroen e-C5 Aircross
- Citroen e-Berlingo
- Citroen e-SpaceTourer
- Cupra Born
- DS DS3
- DS N°4
- Mini Countryman Electric
- Nissan Ariya
- Nissan Micra
- Peugeot E-208
- Peugeot E-2008
- Peugeot E-308
- Peugeot E-408
- Peugeot E-Rifter
- Peugeot E-Traveller
- Renault 4
- Renault 5
- Renault Megane
- Renault Scenic
- Skoda Elroq
- Skoda Enyaq
- Toyota Proace City Verso
- Vauxhall Astra Electric
- Vauxhall Combo Life Electric
- Vauxhall Corsa Electric
- Vauxhall Frontera Electric
- Vauxhall Grandland Electric
- Vauxhall Mokka Electric
- Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric
- Volkswagen ID.3
- Volkswagen ID.4
- Volkswagen ID.5