What cars qualify for the electric car grant? Full list with our best (and worst) picks
Almost 40 electric cars are now eligible for a Government-funded discount. Which should you go for from the ever-growing list?
Every year, electric cars get more affordable and more accessible for all. But clearly progress hasn’t been fast enough to satisfy the UK Government, because in July it launched a new Electric Car Grant (ECG) that removes up to £3,750 off the price of selected zero-emissions cars.
However, as you probably know (and may have guessed) not every electric car on sale is eligible for a Government-funded price cut. We’re not just talking about incredibly opulent EVs such as the Rolls-Royce Spectre or Lotus Evija. There are complex criteria that car manufacturers and their models have to meet in order to receive the ECG.
Firstly, only cars starting from less than £37,000 and that cost no more than £42,000 are eligible to receive the Government’s subsidy. Then there are two distinct bands. Band 1 is for the most sustainably produced EVs, and they qualify for the full £3,750 discount. Those considered to meet a lesser standard fall into Band 2 and receive £1,500 off.
So far, just two cars have qualified for the £3,750 grant – the Ford Puma Gen-E small SUV and the Ford E-Tourneo Courier people carrier. If neither of those take your fancy, there is a rather diverse selection of more than 30 other EVs that get the £1,500 discount, including several Auto Express award winners.
If any of the cars on the list catches your eye and you feel like now is the right time to go electric, we can help. Our electric car deals page has all the top offers, and our parent site Carwow is running a live hub page for the latest EV discounts.
Alpine
Alpine will be known to most people as either a sports car maker or Formula One team. But earlier this year, the performance brand launched its first-ever EV: a meaner version of the new Renault 5 called the Alpine A290, and the exciting electric hot hatch is officially eligible for the Electric Car Grant.
- Alpine A290 – best EV grant car for keen drivers - prices now start from £32,000
Citroen
The first six electric cars eligible for the Government’s new grant were all Citroens, including the Auto Express 2024 Car of the Year, the Citroen e-C3. Its more practical sibling, the Citroen e-C3 Aircross, and the all-new Citroen e-C5 Aircross family SUV are eligible, too. More recently, it was announced the nine-seater e-SpaceTourer MPV is also eligible for the ECG.
- Citroen e-C3 - prices now start from £20,595
- Citroen e-C3 Aircross - prices now start from £21,595
- Citroen e-C4 - prices now start from £26,150
- Citroen e-C4 X - prices now start from £27,215
- Citroen e-C5 Aircross - prices now start from £32,565
- Citroen e-Berlingo MPV – Best seven-seat EV grant car - prices now start from £29,740
- Citroen e-SpaceTourer MPV - prices now start from £35,495
Cupra
The Cupra Born is among the latest batch of cars that the Government has confirmed is eligible for its new grant. The sporty electric hatchback offers up to 346 miles of range, punchy performance and a roomy yet sporty-feeling cabin.
- Cupra Born - prices now start from £34,190
DS Automobiles
If you want an EV that’s designed with style in mind and to feel premium rather than sporty, DS Automobiles has confirmed two of its electric models are eligible for the Government grant: the DS 3 E-Tense small SUV and the newly facelifted DS No4 hatchback.
Ford
Ford is the first manufacturer to have any of its electric cars officially qualify for the full £3,750 Government grant, likely helped by the fact the powertrains for the Puma Gen-E and E-Tourneo Courier are produced here in the UK. Thanks to the discount, the Puma EV is actually now cheaper to buy than the petrol-powered version.
- Ford Puma Gen-E - Prices now start from £26,245
- Ford E-Tourneo Courier - Prices now start from £29,940
Nissan
Nissan is confident that the all-new, third-generation Leaf coming soon will be eligible for the full £3,750 grant as well. In the meantime, the new Micra supermini (which is based on the Renault 5) has received the £1,500 grant. Meanwhile, the Nissan Ariya family SUV is now up to £9,000 cheaper than before thanks to the ECG and Nissan itself cutting the price.
- Nissan Ariya - prices now start from £33,500
- Nissan Micra - prices now start from £21,495
Peugeot
Peugeot has now confirmed seven of its electric models are eligible for the ECG, from the E-208 supermini and E-2008 crossover to the E-408 coupé-SUV and eight-seater E-Traveller MPV. We’re hopeful the new Peugeot E-208 GTI hot hatch will also get it, but there’s no word on that yet.
- Peugeot E-208 - Prices now start from £28,650
- Peugeot E-2008 - Prices now start from £33,900
- Peugeot E-308 - Prices now start from £33,460
- Peugeot E-308 SW - Prices now start from £34,660
- Peugeot E-408 - Prices now start from £35,560
- Peugeot E-Rifter - Prices now start from £30,750
- Peugeot e-Traveller - prices now start from £35,490
Renault
Renault’s entire line-up of electric cars is now officially eligible for the Electric Car Grant, including two recent Auto Express New Car Award winners: the new Renault 5 supermini, which is our Affordable Electric Car of the Year for 2025, plus the reborn Renault 4 that won the hotly contested Small SUV of the Year award.
- Renault 4 - prices now start from £25,495
- Renault 5 - Best value EV grant car - prices now start from £21,495
- Renault Megane - prices now start from £30,995
- Renault Scenic - prices now start from £35,495
Skoda
The Skoda Elroq and its bigger brother the Enyaq were already among our favourite electric cars on the market, but the pair of comfortable, spacious and surprisingly fetching-looking SUVs are even more appealing now because they’re eligible for the Government grant.
- Skoda Elroq - Best EV grant car for families and dog owners - prices now start from £30,210
- Skoda Enyaq - prices now start from £37,510
Toyota
Toyota might be known the world over for its innovations in hybrid technology, but the Japanese marque also has two electric cars in its line-up which are now eligible for the ECG. Both qualify for the £1,500 discount, however Toyota is currently offering a promotion that cuts an additional £2,250 off the price of its bZ4X family SUV.
- Toyota bZ4X - prices now start from £33,245
- Toyota Proace City Verso - prices now start from £30,495
Vauxhall
Vauxhall also has seven electric cars in its line-up all eligible for the EV grant, including the new Frontera and the even more practical Grandland. Thanks to the grant, the new Vauxhall Frontera Electric is actually now more affordable than the petrol-powered versions of the small SUV, as prices start from just £22,495.
- Vauxhall Astra - prices now start from £33,505
- Vauxhall Corsa - prices now start from £26,005
- Vauxhall Combo Life - prices now start from £30,960
- Vauxhall Frontera - prices now start from £22,495
- Vauxhall Grandland - prices now start from £35,455
- Vauxhall Mokka - prices now start from £31,005
- Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric - prices now start from £35,400
Volkswagen
Like Peugeot, Volkswagen has several electric cars in its line-up, but so far only has one model that’s officially eligible for the Government grant. The VW ID.3 is the Cupra Born’s less athletic cousin. It’s incredibly refined on the motorway and it delivers up to 352 miles of range, so is a good choice for people who cover a lot of miles.
- Volkswagen ID.3 - prices now start from £29,360
What are the best cars with the EV grant?
We expect many more models will be getting a price cut over the coming weeks and months, but these are our picks for the best cars that come with the EV grant right now.
Leading the pack has to be the Skoda Elroq – the newly crowned Auto Express Car of the Year, and Mid-size SUV of the Year. It’s an exceptionally talented car, that’s surprisingly nimble around town and soothing to drive on the motorway, not to mention incredibly spacious and well finished inside. Add to that some of Skoda’s brilliant ‘Simply Clever’ touches, a range of up to 355 miles and generous kit list, you can understand why we like it so much – and that was before the starting price dropped to nearly £30k thanks to the EV grant.
Another Auto Express award winner, the Renault 5 feels very sophisticated and well rounded for a small electric car. It offers impressive handling abilities, refinement and real-world range, plus class-leading Google-powered technology. The retro looks and charm sprinkled throughout are the cherry on top. What more could you want?
If your answer to that question was space, there’s the slightly larger and boxier Renault 4, our Small SUV of the Year. As well as a bigger boot and more rear-seat space, the R4 also offers one-pedal driving – something its sibling doesn’t right now – which is great for driving around town.
The Ford Puma Gen-E deserves a mention too, not just because it gets the biggest discount the Government is willing to provide. Just like the petrol-powered version, this is an entertaining small SUV to drive, and it proved very efficient during our own testing. Plus the tech onboard is easy to use and there’s a simply vast amount of boot space.
For family buyers who need a bit more space than the Elroq offers, our recommendations are the Renault Scenic and Skoda Enyaq. As well as being incredibly roomy, both cars can deliver more than 350 miles of range and are comfortable, refined, full of tech and features designed to help make everyday life easier.
The EV grant cars to avoid
While there are lots of excellent, hugely capable electric cars available with the EV grant, we’d recommend buyers avoid the Peugeot E-208 and E-2008, as well as the DS 3 E-Tense and Vauxhall Mokka.
All four are certainly stylish EVs, but they’re all several years old at this point, yet considerably more expensive than their rivals.
The DS 3 E-Tense is the worst by far, costing about £35,500 after the EV grant has been applied. That’s the same price as the Renault Scenic – a much newer family SUV with more range and better tech – and about £10k more than its much closer rival, the Renault 4.
It’s the same story with the E-208, as an entry-level model costs about the same as the top-of-the-range version of the Renault 5, yet offers less range and features rather dated technology.
We should also point out that updated versions of the Peugeot E-308 and E-308 SW have been unveiled but aren’t on sale yet. So if you’re considering either car, hold off until the new models hit showrooms as they’ll offer more range, better cabin materials and sharper looks.
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