The UK government has added four models to the Electric Car Grant scheme, doubling vehicles eligible for maximum discount
The UK government has expanded the Electric Car Grant (ECG) to include four additional models eligible for the maximum £3,750 discount, doubling the number of vehicles qualifying for the top band to eight. The expansion, effective 3 December, adds the Mini Countryman, Renault 4, Renault 5, and Renault Alpine A290 to the scheme, which has supported over 40,000 drivers since launching in July.
The government announced an additional £1.5bn at the Autumn Budget to support electric vehicle adoption, including £1.3bn to increase available funding and extend the ECG to 2030, alongside £200m to accelerate chargepoint rollout. September and October saw record electric vehicle sales, with one in four new cars sold in the UK now being electric, while interest in some eligible vehicles doubled.
The grant aims to tackle upfront costs, traditionally one of the biggest barriers to electric vehicle uptake. Buyers can choose from brands including Ford, Vauxhall, Citroen, and Nissan, whose Leaf model will be built at the company’s Sunderland plant.
In a statement, Heidi Alexander, Transport Secretary, said: “Our Electric Car Grant has already supported over 40,000 drivers to choose electric, and this latest expansion doubles the number of models available for the top discount – putting thousands of pounds back in more families’ pockets.”
The £200m for chargepoint infrastructure builds on £381m to help councils deliver over 100,000 new public chargers. There are almost 87,000 chargers live across the country, with rural chargepoints in England up 26% overall on the year. The government is investing £7.5bn overall to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles.
Source: GOV.UK
