The car makers discounting EV models ahead of government grants

Daily Mail​

5 days ago

It's barely been a week since the government announced its new Electric Car Grant but already confusion is rife and skepticism at an all time high amongst both car makers and buyers. With it still unclear which brands and models will pass stringent sustainability criteria built into the official grant scheme, it's been reported that Chinese brands are likely to be excluded on manufacturing-related emissions grounds.
Preempting their exclusion, some East Asian makers have decided to take matters into their own hands and offer grant-style savings of their own - some matching the Government's maximum subsidy of £3,750. But it's not just Chinese brands who have their own grants. European manufacturers are in on the act too in a bid to 'proactively' offer car buyers 'financial support' and to 'help them make the switch to electric'.
Brands such as Fiat have always been ahead of the game, offering customers an EV grant since the Conservative Government removed the UK's Plug-In Car Grant back in 2022. So, while we wait to know for sure which new EVs will be eligible for Labour's subsidies of between £1,500 and £3,750, we've rounded up the car makers that have guaranteed to slash money off their models. Here are EV brands to go to if you want to secure a decent saving on your new electric car.
MG - its own Electric Car Grant
Offer ends: 30 September 2025 but likely to roll over. In terms of UK sales, MG is the most prominent Chinese brand to announce its own Electric Car Grant in recent days. As of 21 July, MG offers buyers £1,500 off select EV models 'in clear support of the Government's initiative'. The grant will be offered to private buyers of the new MG4 EV and the MGS5 EV.
MG says this is 'over and above any incentives currently offered by MG's 255 UK dealer partners'. At the time of writing this includes a £1,000 test drive offer, so buyers can get up to £2,500 off either new models. The MG4 EV starts at £26,995 and goes up to £36,496. The MGS5 EV starts at £28,495 and goes up to £33,495. In both cases, this is before MG's grant is applied. While the combined test drive and EV grant offer run until 30 September, the EV grant is almost certainly set to continue on, MG told us.
Alfa Romeo - Italian EV Grant
Offer ends: 30 September 2025. As of the 22 July, Italian car brand Alfa Romeo has introduced the 'Alfa Romeo EV Grant' to 'make the exciting world of electric driving even more accessible'. The £1,500 grant will be available against the on-the-road (OTR) price and is accessible on top of existing retail offers including 0 per cent APR on Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and a complimentary EV home charger and standard residential installation. The grant will be applicable across all Junior Elettrica models; the Elettrica, Elettrica Speciale, Elettrica Intensa, and Elettrica 280 Veloce. The Elettrica starts at £33,905 before the EV Grant is applied and goes up to the 280 Veloce's £42,305 price tag (again before the grant is applied).
Leapmotor - the Leap-Grant
Offer ends: 30 September 2025. Also under the Stellantis umbrella, Leapmotor UK was the first Chinese EV maker to offer its own electric car grant , and the first car manufacturer in general to do so after the Government announced its EV Grant. The Leap-Grant ranges from £1,500 to £3,750 depending on the model. At the top end, the Leapmotor C10 family SUV will be available with a £3,750 grant applied and will cost £32,750 now. The small city Leapmotor T03 now has a £1,500 grant applied and will cost £14,495. By launching its own self-funded EV grant, effective from 18 July, Leapmotor says it is 'taking a proactive leap forward to help electric car buyers'.
Great Wall Motors (GWM) - Green Car Grant
Offer ends: 30 September 2025. Great Wall Motors (GWM) says it is 'taking decisive action to help drivers switch to electric' by offering a £3,750 'Green Grant'. As GWM only has one electric car on offer it's easy for customers to know what will be eligible for the grant – the Ora 03. All Ora 03 (previously known as the 'Funky Cat') models are applicable – the Pure, Pro and GT. With the grant applied, the cheapest Ora 03 will now be £21,245 after savings. The grant is also able to be used towards a PCP deposit.
Fiat - the manufacturer-supplied car grant from 2023
Offer ends: 30 September 2025. Fiat introduced its own electric vehicle grant, the 'Fiat E-Grant' in June 2023. The initiative was launched after the previous government regime discontinued its Plug-in Car Grant , and Fiat was the first manufacturer to do this. At first, Fiat provided a £3,000 incentive for buyers of the Fait 500e and 500e Convertible. But as of January this year, the Italian marque expanded the offering to all customers of the 600e and Abarth 500e models too. The grant is now built into those two models' OTRs and applied to both retail and fleet customers. As a result, the 600e and Abarth 500e are both available from £29,975.