Electric Car Grant 2026: Full list of eligible cars & how to save £3750
Zero-emission vehicles where at least one version of a range costs £37,000 or less could be eligible for the Electric Car Grant, meaning savings of up to 10% for EV buyers.
Content guide
- What is the Electric Car Grant or ECG?
- How much is the ECG worth?
- Electric cars eligible for the £3750 ECG discount
- Electric cars eligible for the £1500 ECG discount
- Which EVs could potentially receive an ECG discount in the future?
- Manufacturers offering their own electric car disounts
- Applying for an ECG discount
| Author: Keith WR Jones | Last updated: 5th February 2026 |
What is the Electric Car Grant?
The Electric Car Grant's (ECG) is the UK government's attempt to help overcome a key barrier to electric car adoption — high up-front costs.
When changes to the VED Expensive Car Supplement — the so-called luxury car tax — were introduced in April 2025 meant that electric cars were no longer exempt, manufacturers had targeted selling EVs priced below the initially announced £40,000 threshold in order to dodge it. This has subsequently been increased to £50,000 for electric cars.
Now that the ECG has been introduced, a flurry of even more radical model mix realignment and price-shuffling has occured to broaden the range of cars that could qualify for it.
For an electric car to be potentially eligible for the ECG its price can be no higher than £37,000. Yet within the government's is scope for EVs costing up to £42,000 to be included.
How does that work? If a manufacturer price lists an EV for £37k or lower, providing there are no differences in bodywork, battery capacity, which wheels are driven or the electric motor's power output, higher specification versions of the same car, including those with extra-cost options, still qualify if they don't exceed £42k.
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How much is the ECG discount worth?
There are two bands of discount for the 2026 UK Electric Car Grant (ECG):
- Band 1 — £3750
- Band 2 — £1500
For an EV to be eligible for the more generous level of discounting it manufacturer has to demonstrate to the government that it is promoting sustainable standards at all time, including during production and shipping to the UK.
This immediately makes it very difficult for an electric car made in an Asian country to receive any ECG discount at all due to the distance they will need to be transported by sea using high-emission cargo ships.
The higher the manufacturer can prove its sustainability levels to be, the more it increases its chances of its cars receiving the more generous Band 1 discount.
Where an acceptable level of sustainability is shown, but where there remains room for improvement, the lower Band 2 discount will be awarded.
Which electric cars are eligible for the Electric Car Grant?
Details of exactly which models are eligible for either level of grant applied to each of them are being confirmed on an ongoing basis from 11 August 2025.
The up-to-date tables below reflect the positions of each EV on sale in receipt of the ECG or which could potentially qualify.
ECG Band 1 cars receiving a discount of £3750
The following cars have had their prices reduced by £3750 by qualifying for Band 1 of the Electric Car Grant:
| Brand and model | Eligible versions |
| Alpine A290 | All |
| Citroen e-C5 Aircross | Extended Range models |
| Ford Puma Gen-E | All |
| Ford E-Tourneo Courier | All |
| MINI Countryman Electric | All |
| Nissan Leaf | All |
| Renault 5 E-Tech | Comfort Range models |
| Renault 4 E-Tech | All |
ECG Band 2 cars receiving a discount of £1500
The following cars have had their prices reduced by £1500 by qualifying for Band 2 of the Electric Car Grant:
Other potentially ECG-eligible cars
The following cars potentially qualify for the Electric Car Grant in terms of price but don't have their compliance against other criteria confirmed:
*On sale imminently, prices TBC
Which manufacturers are offering their own EV 'grants'?
There's something of a state of uncertainty as we await gradually released news updates on which cars are eligible for the government's Electric Car Grant and at both levels of discount.
In the interim several brands have introduced their own discount schemes, both as a holding pattern until their eligibility is confirmed or simply to ensure cars which won't receive the ECG remain price-competitive. In some cases the highest Band 1 level of grant worth £3750 is being matched on models which are ineligible. It's a rapidly changing situation with new deals being announced regularly.
Listed below are the currently available manufacturer-funded electric car 'grants' for EVs with recommended retail prices that match those of the ECG scheme:
Alfa Romeo EV Grant
Offering a £1500 discount across the entire Junior Elettrica range, the Alfa Romeo EV Grant is available to private buyers and runs until 31 March 2026.
Even if the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica does qualify for the ECG it will currently only apply to the 156 models, not the range-topping 280 Veloce as this price reduction does.
Alfa Romeo's EV Grant is in addition to other available incentives on this compact electric SUV.
BYD incentives
Rather than an EV-specific discount campaign, BYD is offering small deposit, low APR packages for customers shopping for the Dolphin Surf and Atto 2 models.
Across those models, deposits are set at the same level as the monthly costs, equating to between £269 and £309 for the BYD Dolphin Surf in additional to a further contribution of between £635 and £1368 from the retailer. APR is 3.9% APR over 49 months for orders placed before 31 January 2026.
For the BYD Atto 2 it's a very low APR of 1.9% with customer deposits of £359 to £399, supplemented by BYD contributions of £1970 and £3550 respectively. Again over a 49-month term, orders have to be placed before 31 January 2026.
Dacia Electric Car Grant
Despite being the cheapest EV on sale, the recently updated Dacia Spring is now even more attractive thanks to the company's own Electric Car Grant scheme.
Order your Spring before 31 January 2026 and thanks to the discount of the Dacia Electric Car Grant a further £3750 will be knocked off the price.
That makes the entry-level Spring Expression 70 £12,240 and the Exreme 100 even better value at just £1000 more.
Geely EV Grant
A new player on the UK market under its own name it may be but the Chinese brand which owns Lotus, Polestar, Volvo and 50% of Smart has gone in hard with the launch of its Geely EX5 family SUV.
Already priced attractively, the EX5 is now even less expensive thanks to the Geely EV Grant discount scheme running until 31 March 2026. How much money is lopped-off depends on the version of the EX5 you choose — the SE model is discounted by £2300, the Pro to the tune of £3200, while there's £3750 deducted from the cost of the range-topping Max.
GWM Grant
Although the GWM Green Grant's name has been tweaked for 2026, it still matches the full £3750 Band 1 level of ECG discount.
That brings the price of the cheapest GWM Ora 03 — the car formerly known as the Funky Cat — down to £21,245, a price cut we think it's been crying — meeowing? — out for amid the arrival of far cheaper competitors.
Not only that, the PCP deal is at 0% APR, with customer deposits at approximately 1% of each model's normal retail price.
Hyundai Electric Grant
Another EV we thought was too expensive for its own good is the excellent Hyundai Inster. Great news then, thanks to the Hyundai Electric Grant discount scheme £3750 has lopped-off the price for all private buyers ordering before 31 March 2026, bringing the entry-level Inster 01 under the £20,000 mark.
While the Kona Electric is so far the only model in the range elibible for the government's ECG in Band B, Hyundai's own Electric Grant also sees a £1500 reduction applicable to the rest of its EV line-up, including the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N performance car and the enormous Hyundai Ioniq 9 seven-seater SUV.
Jeep EV Grant
Although some Stellantis brands have been on the ball and sorted out the official ECG discounts across much of their EV ranges, not all have, with the Jeep Avenger Full-Electric being one such model that's languishing as it awaits its eligibility confirmation.
Should it qualify, the discount is likely to be at the Band 2 £1500 level which makes the Jeep EV Grant price reduction all the more interesting. Order your Avenger Full-Electric before 31 March 2026 and you'll enjoy having £3750 knocked off the price of any trim level in a deal which can be used in conjunction with 0% finance and any other negotiated discounts.
Kia EV offers
While certain versions of the box-fresh Kia EV4 and van-based PV5 Passenger MPV are eligible for the Band 2 ECG discount, the smaller Kia EV3 so far isn't covered under the government's scheme.
Purchase an EV3 through one of the firm's PCP deals before 31 March 2026 to benefit from a £3000 contribution towards your deposit and the car's first two services at zero cost.
Leapmotor Leap-Grant
'Why wait for the government? Leapmotor UK is giving drivers an instant head start with our very own electric car grant,' is the cheerily enticing message on the Chinese brand's website. We'll forgive the Leap-Grant for the curious hyphen usage in its name because it's another scheme offering up to £3750 — and from a brand where the ECG discount is unlikely to apply.
Only the C10 SUV receives the larger discount, with the cheaper T03 city car and the new Leapmotor B10 having a more modest £1500 knocked off its price. Available on cars ordered by 31 March 2026 the Leap-Grant can't be combined with other offers unless explicitly stated.
MG EV Car Grant
Under the guise of the Ronseal-alike MG EV Car Grant name, a £1500 discount is available on the MG 4 EV — including the XPower version — and the MG S5 EV, but none of MG's more expensive electric models.
The reduction is offered 'over and above any incentives currently offered by MG’s 155 UK dealer partners' and runs until 31 March 2026.
'MG has been a key contributor to the EV sector, consistently recognising the economic and environmental benefits of introducing a wide range of affordable, electric-only models,' said MG's UK commercial boss, Guy Pigounakis, adding: 'this announcement underlines this commitment and in addition to this, we will also seek to work constructively with the Government to further increase the sale of EVs.'
Omoda & Jaecoo EV Tax Rebate
Rather than trying to compete with the ECG discount, Omoda and Jaecoo are instead targeting the government's planned introduction of a 3p/mile VED tax for electric car drivers set to be introduced in April 2028.
Buy an Omoda E5 or a Jaecoo E5 on a 48-month finance scheme provided by the company and it will discount the the car to the tune of £600.
While that doesn't sound like a significant amount of money to knock off, it's the equivalent of 20,000 miles-worth of driving at 3p/mile under the proposed scheme, representing three years' motoring for a typical electric car.
Skywell EV Switch Incentive
Relative newcomer to the UK market, Skywell has also drawn attention to the complicated and potentially lengthy nature of the ECG application process: 'A number of caveats and requirements have been set by the government before any vehicle is approved onto the new electric car grant scheme, which has left manufacturers, dealers and customers in limbo,' said Skywell UK general manager, David Clark. 'We want to start this process immediately, but we must first gather all the required documentation from Skywell, which could take many months.'
Potentially eligible for the ECG in cheaper Standard Range form, Skywell is offering £3750 off the price of both versions of its recently improved BE11 thanks to its EV Switch Incentive, which also includes £500 towards the cost of your annual insurance policy. The offer is set to run until 31 March 2026.
Smart EV Car Grant
Smart is continuing to heavily discount its remaining stock of brand new 2025 model #1 compact SUVs to the tune of £3500. Combine that with the additional £1500 discount courtesy of the Smart EV Car Grant and that savving swells to £5000, boosted even further by a 0% APR rate.
Savings aren't as generous with the Smart #3 with a total of £2500 deducted from the price of all versions, including the Brabus. Available until 31 March 2026 these sale prices are likely to beat any potential ECG discounts available to Smart.
Suzuki Granted
Recently launched, the Suzuki e Vitara is the Japanese firm's first EV and it's now looking a whole lot more tempting thanks to a range-wide Suzuki Granted discount of £3750, giving a new starting price of £26,249.
Order your e Vitara before 31 March 2026 and it includes the supply and installation of an Ohme domestic wallbox charger, allowing you to make the most of convenience provided by running an EV.
How do I apply for the Electric Car Grant?
The ECG scheme opened on 16 July 2025 with funding available until at least the 2028/29 financial year. It's the manufacturers, not buyers, that apply for the grant, meaning it will be deducted automatically at the point of sale. As a buyer you don't have to do anything.
Car manufacturers' price lists and online configurators will be adapted to reflect the discounted prices.
Those models which qualify for the ECG will be published on a government portal that will be updated regularly to reflect changes to existing model ranges and when new ones are launched.
Eligibility will be based on 'the highest manufacturing sustainability standards,' says the government. This factors-in emissions produced during production which it is understood will most likely incentivise EVs built in the UK and countries geographically closer to it over those manufacured in Asia.
Whether this will encourage more firms to consider British-built EVs or to accelerate existing plans to shift production from China to the UK — as is expected with the MINI Cooper Electric in 2026 — remains to be seen.
Other eligibility criteria for the ECG include the vehicles being:
- Battery- or hydrogen fuel cell-powered
- Cars designed primarily for carrying passengers — classed by the DVLA as M1 vehicles
- Van-based MPVs if classed as M1 vehicles — goods-carrying vans (N1 and N2) cannot qualify
- Capable of a WLTP Combined cycle driving range of at least 100 miles
- Capable of a maximum speed of at least 60mph — light quadricyles (L6 and L7) such as the Citroen Ami cannot qualify
The government says car buyers will benefit from discounts as soon as manufactures successfully apply for their zero-emission cars to be part of the grant scheme.
Electric Car Grant FAQs
Can I get an ECG discount on a used electric car?
No, the ECG discount is only applicable to eligible electric cars when they are brand new. It's presently too soon to judge accurately what the impact of the ECG has on used electric cars, but it could mean that the values of all are reduced, not only those which were discounted when new.
What does 'price listed' mean in the context of the ECG?
In today's digital world the notion of any car having a price list is somewhat archaic. It dates back to a time when manufacturers would literally publish lists of their cars' prices on paper — although this has more or less stopped, several brands still produce downloadable PDF versions of them.
While very few people buy cars outright, each version's listed price remains important because it determines all manner of elements including finance packages, insurance premiums, VED car tax costs, Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) taxation for company car drivers and the ECG. Essentially it sets a standardised price for any given car derivative, electric or otherwise, upon which they can all be based.
This is almost always higher than the transaction price, which is the car's agreed cost when you signed on the dotted line for it, usually after securing a discount.
It's an important distinction which could can catch unwary car buyers out. An electric car might be officially price listed at £43,495, yet using your negotiating nous you negotiate the transcactional price down to £41,995, just below the upper limit to secure the ECG discount, right? Wrong. Remember, it's the advertised cost on the price list which matters, nothing else.
Does the ECG's £42,000 upper price limit include optional extras?
Yes it does, so if you are planning on plundering the options list for your electric car, be very sure to add the cost of those extras up accurately. As soon as you send the sum north of £42k, you can wave goodbye to your ECG discount.
While it's perfectly reasonable to believe you won't add any cost options because the model you are planning on buying has all of the equipment you desire and more fitted as standard, take a moment to remember that most new cars only have one free paint choice — anything which deviates from that solitary hue could well add £500 to the car's price, if not considerably more.
What happened to the Plug-in Car Grant (PiCG)?
The Plug-in Car Grant, usually shortened to PiCG, was the government-funded forerunner to today's ECG.
Launched in 2011, it evolved over time to raise the eligibility criteria in order to qualify for the discount, while also reducing its overall value.
Unlike the ECG which is theoretically open for application by all zero-emission car manufacturers whose models fall into the appropriate price brackets, as the PiCG's name implies it was offered on both EVs and PHEVs, albeit with the latter at reduced discount rates. It was eventually broadened to encompass hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
Under the PiCG scheme the maximum level of discount at its introduction was £5000, falling to £4500 in 2015, down to £3500 in 2018 and £3000 in 2020 at the start of the Covid 19 pandemic. The progamme ended, rather abruptly in 2022.
Interestingly, the Plug-in Van Grant (PiVG) which was introduced a year after the car equivalent, is still very much active.
