Mike Thompson from Leasing Options on the government’s new Electric Car Grant (ECG) and concerns around the rollout so far: “The announcement of the new Electric Car Grant was initially a positive signal for helping more people switch to electric, especially alongside the £400 million investment in charging infrastructure.
“Since then, the government has been drip-feeding eligible models, with 24 announced this week, including cars from Cupra, Nissan, Renault, Vauxhall, and Volkswagen. Yet despite the fanfare, as of mid-August, not a single EV has qualified for the full £3,750 grant; all 24 models approved so far only qualify for the lower-tier £1,500 discount.
“We expect the next two models to appear on the £3,750 discount list will be the Nissan Leaf and the Citroën e-C5 Aircross, although neither is currently on the UK market. The rollout of the scheme so far has been messy, with a lack of clear eligibility criteria already causing many would-be EV owners to delay purchases in the hope of securing one of the higher grants. It’s disappointing that what should have been a beacon of positivity for making EV ownership more affordable has been undermined by the government’s lack of organisation and clarity.”
“Many leading brands such as BYD and MG are rumoured to be excluded from the Electric Car Grant due to manufacturing process requirements. While the motivation to avoid sustainability concerns is understandable, this has only made a scheme that should have been simple unnecessarily complicated—particularly as these brands produce some of the more cost-effective EVs available.”
“At present, carmakers are stepping in with their own incentives. For example, Hyundai is offering £3,750 off the award-winning IONIQ INSTER, plus £1,500 off other key EV models. MG likewise has a £1,500 green grant for its MG4 EV and MG5. We urge motorists to explore these schemes alongside the government’s grant.”
“With the September plate change approaching—traditionally one of the busiest periods of the year—clarity is urgently needed. We hope the government will complete the full rollout of the scheme by then. Without urgent action to simplify and clarify the details, there’s a real risk of undermining consumer confidence and stalling the momentum of EV adoption.”
