Seven electric cars from major brands including Skoda, Toyota and Vauxhall have been added to the Government’s EV discount scheme from today – though none qualify for the full grant amount.
The inclusion of these models takes eligibility for the Electric Car Grant (ECG) up to 35 cars in total.
But with the taxpayer-backed grants designed to encourage Britons to switch to EVs amidst a slowdown in demand from private buyers, motorists will be disappointed to learn that just two cars so far have been deemed green enough to be awarded the maximum £3,750 grants.
The Government scheme, which is targeted to ‘affordable’ models priced below £37,000, requires car makers to meet specific ‘sustainability criteria’ in order for their EVs to be eligible for the full amount – and only Ford has achieved this to date.
The Department for Transport has confirmed that the Citroen e-SpaceTourer, Peugeot e-Traveller and Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric – all sister models underpinned by the same platforms – have been added to the ECG with discounts of £1,500.
Skoda’s Elroq and Enyaq electric SUVs have also been included and receive the same lower-tier discount of £1,500, as have the Toyota bZ4X SUV and Proace City Verso MPV.
The new additions have been revealed in the wake of Labour introducing a new price cap to the grant scheme at the end of last week, which prevents more luxurious models receiving subsidies.
Among the seven EVs to be awarded eligibility to the Electric Car Grant includes the Skoda Enyaq SUV
Skoda’s latest compact crossover – the Elroq, pictured – has also qualified for a £1,500 discount
The ECG has been backed by a £650million investment by the Government and is scheduled to remain in place until the fiscal year 2028-29.
Ministers say it will ‘help families make the switch to electric, whilst boosting skills, jobs, and growth as part of delivering the Plan for Change’.
But reports spilling out of dealerships suggest the grant is causing confusion among drivers – and they’re delaying orders as a result.
Trade magazine Car Dealer recently spoke to a number of showroom operators who said that motorists were stalling on EV purchases. This is because they are waiting to learn which models will qualify for discounts – and, more importantly, which are subject to the full £3,750 saving.
This hesitancy to buy is because new models are being added to the scheme on a weekly basis, rather than there being already being a comprehensive list of eligible EVs.
This is due to the DfT needing to process applications submitted for every EV under £37,000 by their respective manufacturers.
The department arduously need to calculate if these models meet the required sustainability criteria – then determine when each EV sits in its tiered system depending on how green the manufacturing process is.
This emissions yardstick is based on the carbon impact of the production of the EV’s battery, the assembly of the vehicle and the ‘carbon intensity’ of the electric grids in the countries where the car is made.
Only Ford’s Puma Gen-E and E-Tourneo Courier have so far been deemed sustainably produced to meet the requirements of the £3,750 ‘Band 1’ grant.
The latest cars to make the grade from today all failed to surpass the threshold, meaning they are eligible for ‘Band 2’ subsidies of only £1,500.
The Department for Transport has confirmed that the Citroen e-SpaceTourer (pictured), Peugeot e-Traveller, and Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric – all sister models underpinned by the same platforms – have been added to the ECG with discounts of £1,500
The three models – including the Peugeot e-Traveller pictured – are all large seven-seat SUVs using the same platforms, including battery and e-motor combinations
The inclusion of cars like the Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric (pictured) shows the ECG is being offered across a range of different models to suit all buyers
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander said: ‘Our Electric Car Grant is slashing prices for consumers, putting thousands of pounds back into people’s pockets, whilst powering up growth and supporting jobs as part of Plan for Change.
‘By cutting upfront costs and boosting our charging infrastructure we’re helping more people become EV owners, backing industry, and delivering on our promise to make the UK a clean energy superpower.’
Motoring groups have welcomed the new arrivals to the scheme, which launched on 15 July.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: ‘It’s exciting to see that after just seven weeks, 35 models are now eligible for the new Electric Car Grant as this will enable more people to make the decision to go electric.
‘The grant is doubly positive as it not only incentivises manufacturers to have ‘greener’ production lines, it’s also aimed at the more affordable end of the market, something we’d been calling on the Government to do for some time.’
Edmund King, AA president, added that there is now an ‘extensive range and variety of vehicles’ that have been discounted.
‘Drivers frequently tell us that the upfront costs of new EVs are a stumbling block to making the switch to electric. For many drivers, discounts of between £1,500 and £3,750 might just bridge the financial gap to make these cars affordable,’ he said.
‘There is no doubt, more drivers will be tempted to go electric as a result of these grants which have the added benefit of supporting jobs and the car industry.’
The Toyota bZ4X (pictured) is another that’s been granted eligibility to the ECG. However, only the entry trim level qualifies due to the Government’s recently imposed ECG price cap
The seventh model confirmed to receive the £1,500 grant is the Toyota Proace City Verso MPV (pictured)
Ministers impose grant price cap
Last week, the Government introduced a new £42,000 price cap to the scheme to ensure grants are ‘targeted’ only to affordable EVs and rules out more luxurious trim levels.
Confusingly, eligibility for each model is determined by the cheapest version of what the DfT calls the ‘interpolation family’. This essentially means models underpinned by the same drivetrain combination of battery and electric motors.
For instance, Toyota’s bZ4X SUV starts from £36,995 in the entry ‘Pure’ trim level and therefore is eligible for the £1,500 discount because it is below the £37,000 grant price ceiling.
Previously, all versions of the bZ4X using the same 71kW battery and 204hp electric motor would have qualified for the same £1,500 saving. However, because the higher ‘Motion’ and ‘Vision’ grades – costing £46,025 and £49,910 respectively – are above the new cap, it means they will not be subject to the Government-provided savings.
However, Toyota currently has its own discount scheme running until the end of September, with all new bZ4X orders subject to a £3,750 discount, comparable to the ECG’s Band 1 level.
The cap has been included because ministers believe buyers with sufficient finances to spend over £42,000 on an EV have do not need subsidies funded by taxpayers.
However, for some models, the price cap could rule out advanced safety features as well as luxuries, with manufacturers typically reserving the latest in crash mitigation systems for their higher-specification models.
A DfT spokesperson told the Daily Mail: ‘The Electric Car Grant is putting money back in people’s pockets whilst also providing a vital boost for industry.
‘The maximum price limit ensures only eligible cars priced at the lower end of the market can qualify for the discounts, ensuring government support is targeted.’
