Which cars qualify for the electric car grant? Full ECG list with our best (and worst) picks
Around 60 electric cars are now eligible for a Government-funded discount. Which should you go for from the ever-growing list?
It's been over a year since the UK Government announced its new Electric Car Grant scheme (ECG), helping slash the cost of qualifying EVs by up to £3,750, making them more affordable and accessible to all.
Not every electric car on sale is eligible for a Government-funded price cut, and those which miss out aren’t just extravagant cars like the Lotus Evija or Rolls-Royce Spectre, some of the best-selling EVs like the Tesla Model Y aren’t eligible. That’s because there’s complex criteria that car manufacturers and their models have to meet in order to receive the ECG.
ECG criteria, value and bands
Only cars which start from less than £37,000 and that cost no more than £42,000 with options are eligible to receive the Government’s subsidy.
Qualifying cars must also meet strict standards relating to the environmental sustainability of their production process. It is easier for cars built locally to qualify.
Band 1 of the grant is for the most sustainably produced EVs, which qualify for the full £3,750 discount. Those considered to meet a lesser standard fall into Band 2 and receive the lower amount of £1,500 off.
Electric Car Grant qualifying cars
So far, only the following 12 EVs have qualified for the larger £3,750 discount:
- Abarth 500e
- Alpine A290
- Citroen e-C5 Aircross Long Range
- Fiat 500e
- Ford Puma Gen-E
- Ford E-Tourneo Courier
- Kia EV2 Long Range
- Kia EV4
- MINI Countryman Electric
- Nissan Leaf
- Nissan Micra
- Renault 4
- Renault 5 Comfort Range
- Renault Scenic
While that doesn’t sound like a lot, it does include some of the best electric cars currently on the market like the retro-styled Renault 5, our 2025 Car of the Year, the Skoda Elroq, and our 2026 Car of the Year, the Nissan Leaf.
If they don’t take your fancy, there is a diverse selection of around 50 other EVs that get the lower £1,500 discount, including several other 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.
Abarth
Like its more comfort-focused sibling the Fiat 600e, the Abarth 600e qualifies for Band 2 of the ECG. If you can handle its rough ride, the Abarth is a thrilling performance SUV, producing up to 276bhp in Competitzione spec. However, it's the smaller Abarth 500e that gets the more generous £3,750 Band 1 grant, bringing the spicy city car's price below £25,000.
- Abarth 500e – Prices now start from £24,245
- Abarth 600e – Prices now start from £33,995
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo only has one electric car, but the good news is that it qualifies for the ECG. The Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica is the zero emissions version of the Italian marque’s smallest model, boasting a striking design and a genuinely enjoyable drive. Now with a £1,500 discount, it’s more appealing than ever.
- Alfa Romeo Junior – Prices now start from £33,900
Alpine
Alpine will be known to most people as either a sports-car maker or a Formula One team. But recently, 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 Band 1 of the Electric Car Grant.
- Alpine A290 – Prices now start from £30,245
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. The Long Range version of the all-new Citroen e-C5 Aircross also qualifies for full £3,750 grant, offering a massive 421-mile range for less than £33,000.
- Citroen e-C3 – Prices now start from £18,495
- Citroen e-C3 Aircross – Prices now start from £21,995
- Citroen e-C4 – Prices now start from £27,215
- Citroen e-C5 Aircross – Best long-range EV grant car - Prices now start from £32,585
- Citroen e-Berlingo MPV – Best seven-seat EV grant car - Prices now start from £29,890
- Citroen e-SpaceTourer MPV – Prices now start from £36,995
Cupra
Sportier than their Volkswagen and Skoda cousins, the Cupra Born and Cupra Raval are both offered with Band 2 of the ECG. The former offers up to 346 miles of range, while the latter starts from just under £28,500 for the big-battery model; the entry-level Raval Origin starts from under £24,000, but doesn't get any state-backed discount.
- Cupra Born – prices now start from £35,995
- Cupra Raval (52kWh) – prices now start from £29,995
DS Automobiles
If you want an EV that’s designed with style in mind and to feel premium rather than sporty, DS Automobiles has the DS 3 E-Tense small SUV and the newly facelifted DS No4 hatchback, both of which are eligible for the Government grant.
Fiat
The Fiat 500e is now one of the cheapest EVs you can buy as it's now available with the full £3,750 Electric Car Grant discount. If you need more space, the larger 600e is also available with Government subsidies - admittedly only the £1,500 Band 2 grant - which, following a recent range-wide price cut, actually makes it more affordable than the petrol model.
- Fiat 500e – Prices now start from £17,245
- Fiat 600e – Prices now start from £26,995
Ford
Ford was 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 in the UK.
Thanks to the discount, the Puma EV is actually cheaper to buy than the petrol-powered version. You can also get the larger Explorer and Capri with the grant, although both receive only the base discount.
- Ford Capri – Prices now start from £33,985
- Ford Explorer – Prices now start from £32,685
- Ford Puma Gen-E – Prices now start from £25,245
- Ford E-Tourneo Courier – Prices now start from £28,940
Hyundai
Hyundai is on a roll with its transition to electric, particularly with its high-performance offerings in the Ioniq 5 N and Ioniq 6 N. However, only one of the Korean firm's six electric models (eight, if you count the N variants) gets the grant. The Hyundai Kona Electric benefits from the base £1,500 discount, although curiously its mechanical sibling, the Kia Niro EV, doesn't.
- Hyundai Kona Electric – Prices now start from £33,500
Jeep
Jeep might not be the first name you think of when the words ‘zero emissions’ come to mind, but the brand nevertheless now sells two electric SUV models in the form of the Jeep Avenger and larger Jeep Compass. Both qualify for the Band 2 grant of £1,500, meaning they're now more affordable than ever.
- Jeep Avenger – Prices now start from £33,599
- Jeep Compass – Prices now start from £36,999
Kia
Kia has been making electric cars for longer than most brands and it currently has no fewer than seven in its line-up, from the luxurious Kia EV9 seven-seat SUV to the PV5 Cargo panel van. Four of them are eligible for the ECG: the dinky EV2, the award-winning EV3 SUV, the EV4 hatchback – which was designed for Europe and built here, too – and the PV5 Passenger MPV.
- Kia EV2 – Prices now start from £24,245.
- Kia EV3 – Prices now start from £31,555
- Kia EV4 – Prices now start from £30,995
- Kia PV5 Passenger – Prices now start from £31,695
MINI
The MINI Countryman Electric is one of the few models that qualifies for the top-tier Band 1 level of funding. The Countryman Electric ‘only’ has a range of up to 285 miles, but makes up for that with a roomy interior filled with tech and funky, premium-feeling materials, plus we think it’s quite fun to drive. Overall, the Countryman is MINI’s most convincing SUV to date.
- MINI Countryman Electric – Best premium EV grant car - Prices now start from £29,255
Nissan
Nissan has some great electric cars in its line-up at the moment ranging from the dinky Renault 5-based Micra supermini to its updated Ariya SUV. Our 2026 Auto Express Car of the Year winner, the Nissan Leaf, alongside the Micra, both qualify for the full £3,750 discount; small-battery Micra models and the Ariya have to settle for the base £1,500 grant.
- Nissan Ariya – Prices now start from £35,500
- Nissan Leaf – Prices now start from £28,849
- Nissan Micra – Prices now start from £21,495
Peugeot
Seven of Peugeot’s 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 £23,495
- Peugeot E-2008 – Prices now start from £27,995
- Peugeot E-308 – Prices now start from £30,995
- Peugeot E-308 SW – Prices now start from £32,195
- Peugeot E-3008 - Prices now starting from £35,495
- Peugeot E-408 – Prices now start from £32,695
- Peugeot E-Rifter – Prices now start from £32,500
- Peugeot E-Traveller – prices now start from £36,990
Renault
Renault’s entire line-up of electric cars is now officially eligible for the Electric Car Grant, including its recent Auto Express New Car Award winner: the new Renault 4, which bagged our 2026 Small SUV of the Year award. Alongside the R4, the smaller Renault 5 supermini and much larger Renault Scenic SUV also get the full £3,750 discount, only adding to their appeal. Base 40kWh battery versions of the R5 only get £1,500 off, as does the Renault Megane hatchback.
- Renault 4 – Best small SUV EV grant car - Prices now start from £23,445
- Renault 5 – Prices now start from £21,495
- Renault Megane – Prices now start from £31,295
- Renault Scenic – Prices now start from £33,245
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. The new Skoda Epiq also qualifies for the £1,500 EGC making a good small car even more attractive.
- Skoda Elroq – Best EV grant car for families and dog owners – Prices now start from £33,970
- Skoda Enyaq – Prices now start from £39,520
- Skoda Epiq - Prices now start from £27,700
Toyota
Toyota might be known the world over for its innovations in hybrid technology, but the Japanese marque also has five electric cars in its line-up now, two of which are eligible for the £1,500 ECG.
- Toyota C-HR+ – Prices now start from £32,995
- Toyota Proace City Verso – Prices now start from £30,495
Vauxhall
Vauxhall’s entire range of seven electric cars is 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 just as affordable as the petrol-powered versions of the small SUV.
- Vauxhall Astra Electric – Prices now start from £29,995
- Vauxhall Corsa Electric – Prices now start from £26,780
- Vauxhall Combo Life Electric – Prices now start from £30,680
- Vauxhall Frontera Electric – Prices now start from £24,795
- Vauxhall Grandland Electric – Prices now start from £35,645
- Vauxhall Mokka Electric – Prices now start from £34,280
- Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric – Prices now start from £36,900
Volkswagen
Half of Volkswagen’s electric passenger car line-up is now eligible for the ECG, with the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 and upcoming ID.Polo all qualifying for the £1,500 discount. Whichever of this trio takes your fancy, all are refined, spacious and perfectly suited for taking on family duties while covering a lot of miles.
- Volkswagen ID.3 – Prices now start from £30,860
- Volkswagen ID.4 – Prices now start from £36,995
- Volkswagen ID.5 – Prices now start from £36,995
- Volkswagen ID.Polo – Final prices TBC
What are the best cars with the EV grant?
We expect even more models will qualify for the Electric Car Grant as time goes on, but these are our picks for the best cars that come with the discount right now.
Nissan Leaf
Leading the pack has to be the new Nissan Leaf. This family car is our 2026 Car of the Year and is exceptionally talented. It’s comfortable on the move, filled to the brim with useful tech and has lots of practical touches. There’s a very attractive starting price, the Leaf is built in the UK, and the range is up to 375 miles.
Skoda Elroq
Another great ECG car we’d highly recommend is the Skoda Elroq. A former Car of the Year recipient in 2025, the Elroq is 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, and you can understand why we like it so much.
Renault 5
Another former 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?
Renault 4
If your answer to that question was space, there’s the slightly larger and boxier Renault 4, our two-time 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 around town. On top of all that, it’s actually slightly cheaper than the R5 when you compare like-for-like, with both cars fitted with a 52kWh battery thanks to an entry-level ‘evolution+’ version of the SUV.
Citroen e-C5 Aircross
If you want a lot of space, though, or would prefer an SUV that’s more focused on comfort than retro charm, then the Citroen e-C5 Aircross Long Range is the obvious choice with its very roomy cabin, 550-litre boot and up to 421 miles of range from a single charge. Plus it only costs a couple of hundred pounds to upgrade from the standard variant to the long-range version of the head-turning family SUV.
Ford Puma Gen-E
The Ford Puma Gen-E deserves a mention, too. Not only does the full £3,750 discount make it cheaper than the petrol car, but the EV is an efficient, entertaining and well equipped small SUV. During our testing, we found the on-board tech very easy to use and there’s an impressive amount of boot space for a small SUV.
Cupra Raval
While the majority of cars on this list are great family cars or SUVs, some people just want a small supermini. The Curpa Raval not only is a cracking little car, it’s also available as a souped-up hot hatchback too. During our testing we found it immensely fun to drive and quite spacious for its size. The best bit? It’s cheaper and goes further on a single charge than its main rival, the Alpine A290.
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.
All three 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, with prices from £37,000 after the EV grant has been applied. That’s significantly more than the Renault Scenic – a much newer family SUV with more range and better tech – and about £13k more than its much closer rival, the Renault 4.
It’s a similar story with the E-208, as an entry-level model costs more than the equivalent Renault 5, yet offers less range and features rather dated technology.
We should also point out that the updated versions of the Vauxhall Astra and Astra Sports Tourer have recently hit showrooms, so make sure you’re getting the newest model as they’ll offer more range, better cabin materials and sharper looks than outgoing cars.
EV grant car deals
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