Return of the EV grant? Cheaper electric cars on the cards with £700m govt investment plan

Electric cars will soon be more accessible to buyers. The government has announced plans for huge investment in buyer subsidies in order to bring down prices, as well as improved EV charging infrastructure to make it easier to plug-in at home.

With the full details set to be laid out on Tuesday, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told the BBC that “We are going to be making some announcements later this week on how we make it more affordable for people to buy an electric vehicle.”

According to the Telegraph, the government is rumoured to have set aside over £640 million of taxpayer cash in order to help reduce down payments on electric cars – much like the original Plug-In Car Grant scheme that was discontinued in 2022 and awarded buyers £1,500 towards the price of a new EV.

Focus on UK-built EVs

Interestingly, sources suggest that there will be a price ceiling, meaning more expensive EVs will not be eligible, while vehicles built within the UK will be given preferential treatment in this regard.

The forthcoming Nissan Leaf electric SUV is set to be one of the biggest benefactors as it is set to be manufactured within the Japanese giant’s plant in Sunderland and thus benefit from extra subsidies. The electric MINI Cooper, on the other hand, likely won’t get the same treatment as the Nissan as unlike that car, it’s built in China; MINI recently paused its plans to bring EV production to Oxford, citing slow sales.

Easier home charging

That’s not all, however, as the government has also invested £25 million to aid private councils in installing cross-pavement charging solutions; these so-called ‘gulleys’ involve digging a small trench into the pavement in which a flap will be installed, allowing a charging cable to be draped across the road without becoming a trip hazard.

Co-founder of cross-pavement charging solution firm, KerboCharge, Michael Goulden, said he was “delighted by the news of the Government grant”, stating that it “demonstrates the Government’s backing for cross-pavement charging and subsidising the cost for tens of thousands of UK households.”

Clearer signage for public charging hubs

That £25 million comes as part of a larger £63 million lump sum towards building appropriate signage for EV charging stations, something founder of campaign group, FairFuel UK, Quentin Wilson, said was “a very welcome development”.

“I’m overjoyed to see that finally non-EV drivers will see that there is a charging infrastructure to give them the confidence to switch,” Wilson explained. “Years of not having any charging signage on our roads has helped stoke the myth ‘there’s no infrastructure’.

Auto Express has contacted the Department for Transport and the Conservative Party opposition for further details and comment, but is yet to receive a response.

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