New Citroen e-C3 Urban Range is the cheapest EV to get Government’s Electric Car Grant
Urban Range Plus versions of the Citroen e-C3 start from just £18,495 and offer 130 miles of range
The Citroen e-C3 Urban Range is officially the cheapest EV to benefit from the Government’s Electric Car Grant, with prices starting from a fiver under £18,500.
Like more expensive models in the Citroen e-C3 line-up, the Urban Range model only qualifies for the base Band 2 of the Electric Car Grant (ECG), worth £1,500.
It amounts to a new 30kWh battery pack that provides a WLTP combined range of 130 miles. That’s 10 miles shy of the 140 possible in the Dacia Spring Extreme, which costs around £1,500 less than the Citroen, and matches up against the BYD Dolphin Surf that has a 137-mile range and starting price around £200 higher. Neither the Spring nor the Dolphin Surf qualify for the EV grant, which drops the e-C3 Urban Range price to £18,495 in Plus trim.
The e-C3 is a larger and much more substantial car than the Dacia Spring. Boot space might be similar in both cars, but the Citroen is much roomier for those in the second row seats and offers superior build and material quality. The e-C3 Urban Range Plus also supports rapid charging at speeds of up to 30kW but the capability is a £440 option - without it, you're restricted to 7.4kW AC charging. The Dacia can charge at 30kW DC and the Dolphin Surf and manage 65kW speeds.
Despite being the entry-level car in the range, the aforementioned Plus trim comes with a generous level of standard equipment including a 10-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, head-up display-style digital dials, rear parking sensors, 17-inch alloys and two-tone paintwork.
The entirety of Citroen’s EV line-up, bar the Ami quadricycle, qualify for the ECG scheme which, according to the Government, has seen more than 40,000 beneficiaries as of January 2026. The larger Citroen e-C5 Aircross, on the other hand, manages to squeeze into Band 1 for the top £3,750 level of funding. This brings the 400+-mile EV under the £33,000 mark.
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