The MINI Countryman, Renault 4, Renault 5 and the Alpine A290 have all received the top £3,750 band of the Electric Car Grant.
The expansion doubles the number of EVs eligible for the maximum reduction under the grant, meaning drivers can now get £3,750 off 8 models, including Ford, Vauxhall, Citroen and the Nissan LEAF.
It follows an additional £1.3 billion committed by the UK Government to the ECG for a further year in the budget last week, alongside another £200 million to accelerate the rollout of chargepoints across the country.
The additional cahs for chargepoints will build on the £381 million to help councils deliver over 100,000 new public chargers.
The grant has assisted 40,000 drivers choose electric since its launch in July.
The government has also launched a review into the cost of public electric vehicle charging, looking at the impact of energy prices, wider cost contributors, and options for lowering these costs for consumers.
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, 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.
“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 £200 million to expand the charging network across the UK.
Ian Plummer, Chief Commercial Officer at Autotrader, said:
“The Electric Car Grant is helping to make electric cars more affordable for thousands of car buyers, which is vital if we are to accelerate the rate of adoption.
“We can clearly see the impact the grant is already having on consumer interest, with the number of people viewing grant eligible models on Autotrader increasing by over 100% in some instances, so with the addition of these news models to the scheme we will no doubt see similar levels of interest.
“We’re also pleased to hear that the government is trying to make charging more accessible and cheaper for all. EVs enjoy significant running cost benefits, but only when the cars can be charged mainly on driveways or cheaper off street locations, so this investment is vital to ensure no driver is left behind on the journey to electric.”
BEAMA CEO, Yselkla Farmer, said:
“BEAMA’s latest market pulse shows that the Electric Car Grant is leading to positive trends in new EV inquiries to date and its continued support by this government is a welcome measure, providing certainty and improving confidence for UK EV charge point manufacturers in the UK as the place to invest.
“With more cars becoming eligible for the top level of the grant the government’s ambitious ZEV mandate is becoming increasingly achievable.”
Vicky Edmonds, Chief Executive of EVA England, said:
“It’s encouraging to see the Government pressing ahead with the Electric Car Grant, and to see more and more models becoming eligible.
“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.”
Vicky Read, chief executive of ChargeUK, said:
“It’s great to see more people getting support to buy from a growing range of new electric vehicles. But we also need to ensure that EVs are affordable to run.
“With the government introducing the new three pence per mile tax, the review into the cost of public charging provides a vital opportunity to ensure that driving an EV remains cost effective. It particularly needs to deliver for the one in three households that cannot charge at home, whilst also maintaining investment in the charging sector so the rollout of high-quality infrastructure continues across the country”
Image courtesy of Renault
