Huge boost for EVs as three major brands slash £1,500 off selected cars
Three top electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers have taken the initiative by trimming £1,500 from the price of selected models, rather than waiting for the government's Electric Car Grant (ECG) to kick in.
The move by Volkswagen, Skoda and Cupra follows a trend set by other automakers, with similar support introduced by Hyundai, Alfa Romeo, Kia and Leapmotor.
The Volkswagen Group's decision comes ahead of the rollout of the new scheme, which promises up to £3,750 off fully electric cars priced under £37,000. However, the exact list of eligible vehicles is not yet available as the rules are based on complicated sustainability requirements. It comes after news anyone buying fuel next week given '£15 charge' warning by The AA.
While many buyers are still waiting to see which models will benefit from the grant, Volkswagen has announced its new £1,500 'Grant Guarantee' already applies directly to several of their most popular electric models.
This initiative covers the ID.3 and ID.4's Pure and Pro editions. These savings are not extended to the higher-performance GTX models in either range, however.
Director of Volkswagen UK, Rod McLeod, said: "We welcomed the Government's announcement of its Electric Car Grant and wanted to make sure customers could start benefitting from lower-cost electric motoring as quickly as possible. We have already seen an uplift in enquiries since the Government's grant was announced, which is great news for Volkswagen's electrification plans."
Skoda is joining in by including the Elroq and Enyaq in its 'Grant Guarantee' — the offer is available on SE, SE L, Edition and SportLine trims. Cupra is also reducing prices on its Born hatchback, covering the V1, V2 and V3 options.
The £1,500 reduction on all three manufacturers' models will be in place until August 31, 2025. The brands have promised to honour the £1,500 discount "even if the government's grant is not awarded".
It is worth noting that customers cannot combine the Grant Guarantee with the ECG if a model qualifies for both schemes and the offer will only apply to models listed under the brands' respective schemes.
This wave of offers is expected to make EVs more attractive to a broader range of UK buyers, supporting the shift towards cleaner and greener motoring on our roads.
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