The Government has added five more plug-in models to its £650 million electric car grant scheme, bringing the total number of eligible vehicles to 22.
The latest additions – the Cupra Born, Volkswagen ID.3, Peugeot e-208, Peugeot e-2008 and Peugeot e-Rifter – now qualify for a £1,500 discount. This follows the 13 models added earlier in August, including cars from Nissan, Renault and Vauxhall.
Discounts in Practice
While the grant is designed to lower barriers to EV adoption, the current discounts represent only modest reductions.
The £1,500 cut equals around a 4% saving on the Cupra Born, priced at £37,460.
The Volkswagen ID.3 is now available from £30,860, while Peugeot models range from £20,245 to £35,000.
All five cars sit in band two, meaning they fall short of the stricter environmental requirements needed to qualify for the full £3,750 payout. To date, no models have achieved band one eligibility.
Industry Reaction
Volkswagen UK director Rod McLeod said the grant complements efforts to broaden EV adoption, while Peugeot’s managing director Nicola Dobson described it as making electric motoring “even more accessible.” Peugeot has also applied the grant early to models awaiting official confirmation, including the E-408, E-308, E-308 SW and E-Traveller.
Government Commitment
The electric car grant forms part of a broader government push to accelerate the switch from petrol and diesel, supported by parallel investment in charging infrastructure.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the scheme was “delivering on our promise to make it easier and cheaper for families to go electric,” adding that it was about “backing drivers, putting money back into people’s pockets and creating the jobs and growth that will drive Britain forward.”
Consumer Awareness Still Low
A Carwow survey found that 64% of drivers remain unaware of the grant, while just one in five are satisfied with the choice of eligible EVs. Despite this, the scheme is stimulating demand: searches for eligible Citroën EVs have surged 300%, while Renault 5 configurations doubled week-on-week.
The grant is applied automatically at the point of sale, with no paperwork required for customers.