More new electric cars have become eligible for the government’s Electric Car Grant, with the popular Kia EV3 the latest to get a £1,500 discount. Kia has also just introduced a special edition Kia EV4 Motion that also qualifies for the same grant.
With the Electric Car Grant in full swing, it’s no wonder electric cars are becoming more and more popular – with sales up 23.9 per cent in the UK last year – as buyers reap the cost, environmental and driving benefits of buying an EV.
Running costs are swaying it for many buyers, especially if you’re able to charge using a specialist low-rate EV-friendly tariff. EV prices are also coming down fast, too, as more affordable electric models launch and the technology gets cheaper, while maintenance costs are lower too.
The current increase in fuel prices has also caused a jump in EV interest. Renault recently reported a 24 per cent increase in enquiries, with Octopus Vehicle Leasing revealing a jump of 36 per cent in electric car enquiries, while online car marketplace Autotrader says new and used EV leads are up 28 per cent and 15 per cent respectively.
The Renault 5 is one of the UK’s most popular EVs amongst buyers, and gets up to £3,750 off thanks to the Electric Car Grant (Renault)
The UK government’s Electric Car Grant (ECG) has also played a big role in bringing prices down. It’s now firmly established and bringing real savings to electric car buyers across the country, as ministers, manufacturers and dealerships make electric vehicles more affordable.
Introduced in July 2025 as part of the government’s wider Plan for Change strategy, the grant aims to slash up to £3,750 off the price of qualifying new electric cars. The scheme, backed by billions in funding and extended in last November’s budget, is designed to close the gap between the upfront cost of EVs and their petrol or diesel equivalents – a key barrier cited by drivers reluctant to switch.
New cars are gaining ECG eligibility on a regular basis, with the new Nissan Micra (in 52kWh battery form) joining eight other cars that get the largest discount of £3,750. The new Micra is based on the new Renault 5 E-Tech, which – with its larger battery – also gets the full saving, along with the new Renault 4.
A total of 40 models – including the Kia EV3, plus the smaller-battery versions of the Micra and Renault 5 – are eligible for the lower £1,500 ECG discount.
The ECG works by offering two tiers of discount, depending on a car’s environmental credentials. Band 1 cars, scored against the government’s sustainability criteria, qualify for the full £3,750 discount. Band 2 cars, which meet a slightly lower set of criteria, are eligible for a £1,500 discount. Dealers deduct the grant at point of sale – there’s nothing that buyers have to do.
The new Nissan Micra is another recent addition to the list of cars eligible for the full £3,750 government Electric Car Grant (Nissan)
The scheme’s eligibility rules require an electric car to have a minimum battery range of 100 miles and carry specific warranty terms for both the vehicle and its battery. Vehicles must also meet the price cap rules – generally starting below a set threshold – to qualify.
Taken together, these rules have unlocked a broad and growing list of eligible models from a huge variety of car brands. Government figures show that more than 40,000 drivers have already benefited from the scheme since launch, and an extra £1.5 billion announced in the Autumn Budget has increased funding while extending the programme’s life towards 2030.
EVs that get the biggest £3,750 Electric Car Grant discount
Among the Band 1 beneficiaries – cars that qualify for the maximum £3,750 saving – are several models that have quickly become familiar on British roads, with these cars benefitting from an instant sales boost:
• Citroën ë-C5 Aircross Long Range
• Ford E-Tourneo Courier
These vehicles are among the greenest in the scheme, meeting the highest sustainability criteria and ticking all the boxes on range and warranty.
EVs that get the £1,500 Electric Car Grant discount
The Band 2 list, eligible for the £1,500 grant, spans a wide range of everyday EVs from European and Japanese marques. They include models that may not meet the top-tier criteria but still deliver strong electric performance and practical appeal:
• Citroen e-C3, e-C3 Aircross and e-C3 Urban Range
• Citroen e-Berlingo
• Citroen e-SpaceTourer
• DS DS3
• DS No4
• Kia EV3
• Kia EV4
• Peugeot E-Rifter
• Peugeot E-Traveller
• Renault Megane
• Toyota Proace City Verso
• Vauxhall Combo Life Electric
• Vauxhall Grandland Electric
• Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric
Some of the names on the Band 2 roster are familiar to drivers considering their first EV, with most car makers who manufacture in Europe already on the list.
Industry reaction to the scheme has been broadly positive. Early in the rollout, the Ford Puma Gen-E – the electric version of the UK’s best-selling car – became the first model confirmed to qualify for the full grant, emphasising how even volume sellers can benefit. Manufacturers such as Renault have since confirmed eligibility across most of their electric lineup – from practical hatchbacks to family SUVs – while Nissan’s latest Leaf, built in Sunderland, is also expected to feature prominently among Band 1 discounts when it arrives on UK forecourts.
Critics still warn that the ECG alone won’t solve all barriers to electrification – charging infrastructure remains patchy outside urban centres and consumer awareness of total cost of ownership is mixed. But with plug-in vehicle registrations growing in the UK, the grant appears to have nudged more buyers into showrooms.
For those in the market for a new electric car, the list of eligible models is now something to check early in the research process – whether chasing a band-one saving that cuts thousands off the price tag, or a band-two rebate that still sweetens the deal.
With the ECG now embedded in UK EV policy and EV prices dropping as more affordable models arrive, buyers have the clearest path yet to making the switch to zero-emission driving.
