logo
Electric Car Grant: here's every car in the UK that gets the discount

Electric Car Grant: here's every car in the UK that gets the discount

Top Gear3 days ago
Good news: the Electric Car Grant has returned! As surely everyone is thinking, ain't no party like an ECG party. And like all good ECG parties, this one comes with fun like: rules! Stipulations! Eligibility criteria! The government of the United Kingdom has introduced two bands in order to obtain this ECG: Band 1, which offers a fat £3,750 discount for those cars with the lowest CO2 manufacturing footprint, and Band 2, which offers a less fat £1,500 discount for those cars above a certain threshold. The government of the United Kingdom has not yet confirmed what those thresholds are, and… no electric car in the United Kingdom currently qualifies for the fat £3,750 discount. So for now, here's a big list of every car that gets the less fat £1,500 off. Advertisement - Page continues below
The hot version of the new Renault 5 supermini. How much of the grant applies? £1,500 (Band 2). So what does it cost after the grant? From £32,000. What do you think of it? It's a very different experience to hot Clios of old, but still a good one… there's a sense of humour, good looks, usable performance, gadgets to play with and it's well priced. Read the full review here
You might like
It's the electric version of Citroen's best-selling car ever, the C3. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £20,595. What do you think of it? There's a lot we really, really like about the Citroen e-C3… and not a lot we don't. Read the full review here
Advertisement - Page continues below
Essentially a slightly larger, raised version of the standard C3 supermini. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £21,595. What do you think of it? It fulfils its brief as a slightly roomier C3 without becoming too posh or too expensive. Read our full review here
Good question. It's still a hatchback, but slightly taller. Not tall enough to be an SUV, and too sleek of boot to be a crossover. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £26,150. What do you think of it? It's an interestingly styled hatch with a very reasonable asking price. Read our full review here
Largely identical to the e-C4, only with an elongated rear end. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £27,215. What do you think of it? Could do with a slightly firmer setup for better body control: the extra weight (over 200kg vs the hybrid) means it suffers from a bounce and a wallowyness that isn't there in the hybrids. Read the full review here
A big, friendly Citroen, now in its second generation and freshly electrified. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. What will it cost? From £32,565. What do you think of it? We've not driven it yet, but it sits on the same bones as the Peugeot e-3008 and e-5008, and both of those are decent... Read the full story here Advertisement - Page continues below
A van-based car that offers immense practicality and loads of space. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £29,740. What do you think of it? Enormously practical and built for family life, the Berlingo does all you could realistically ask of it. Read our full review here
Only Nissan's second attempt at an electric car since it introduced the Leaf in 2010 and stole a march on everyone. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £33,500. What do you think of it? Looks fun, but drives a bit more like you'd expect a Nissan to. If you're after an electric family SUV with a decent amount of range, then you could do a lot worse. Read our full review here Advertisement - Page continues below
Everyone's favourite learner car, here reimagined as an electrified supermini, ready to be silently dinged into oblivion by an entirely new generation of drivers. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £21,495. What do you think of it? We've yet to drive the new one, but it's the based on the 'AmpR Small' platform that underpins the award-winning Renault 5. Find out more here
Closely related to the wonderful Renault 5 EV, but with an 8cm longer wheelbase. That's why it's a little more expensive than the R5, even if their names might make you think the prices are the other way around. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £25,495. What do you think of it? There's goodness in the R4 that goes beyond design: the interior is sublime, the tech is well executed, it's value for money and (most importantly of all) unfailingly uplifting to drive. Renault has hit another home run with this. Read our full review here
More than just a simple electric supermini, this is a small car you desire rather than merely decide upon. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £21,495. What do you think of it? It feels consistent: as charming to drive as it is to look at and to sit in. Your first love should last. Read our full review here
Renault's family hatch, designed and built all-in for battery power. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £30,995. What do you think of it? The Megane is conventionally desirable, handsome, well-finished and easy to use... there's very little wrong with it. Read our full review here
It's a long-ish wheelbase, long-range electric family car. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £35,495. What do you think of it? Space, efficiency and superb tech count in the Scenic's favour. But it's also good-looking on the outside and well-finished within. Read our full review here
It's an Astra. And specifically, the Astra Electric. There aren't many more recognisable names in the heartland of British motoring these days. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £32,630. What do you think of it? We like the eighth-generation Astra, and the electric one is the best of the lot… we're just not head-over-heels in love with it. Read our full review here
In case you hadn't guessed yet, it's the fully electric version of one of Britain's best-selling cars. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £25,280. What do you think of it? It's significantly less peacocky than its Honda or Mini rivals, and it'll go further and has bags more room for people. Read our full review here
Vauxhall Combo Life Electric The same van-based car as the Citroen e-Berlingo and the Peugeot e-Rifter. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £30,690. What do you think of it? The Combo is well judged for family life and makes no misguided attempts at sportiness. Read our full review here
Vauxhall Frontera Electric It's the new Vauxhall Frontera, making its return after a 20-year absence. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £23,995. What do you think of it? It feels well judged. Its driving manners exceeded our expectations, it blends the company's now familiar image with the kind of rugged looks people favour these days, and above all there's no arguing with the cost. Read the full review here
Vauxhall Grandland Electric It's the second-generation Vauxhall Grandland, available for the first time with electric power, in case you hadn't already guessed by the name. How much of the grant applies? £1,500. So what does it cost after the grant? From £34,555. What do you think of it? This is a car you'll buy with your sensible shoes on, and not those fluorescent trainers you got on a whim and haven't worn since. Read our full review here
Vauxhall's smallest crossover. How much of the grant applies?
£1,500. So what does it cost after the grant?
From £30,180. What do you think of it?
What the Mokka does is make a Corsa-sized crossover more interesting than it has any right to be.
Read the full review here
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'My wife wants to sell my collection of 23 buses'
'My wife wants to sell my collection of 23 buses'

BBC News

time12 minutes ago

  • BBC News

'My wife wants to sell my collection of 23 buses'

A man who has collected 23 vintage buses is resisting pressure to sell Tierney's lifelong obsession with buses began when he was 10 and he went to work with his dad, who drove a Leland Lynx in Stevenage, 34-year-old from Essex bought the exact bus that his dad once used from a private collector in Newcastle and has now restored it to how it was in his estimated he could earn about £200,000 if he sold the buses, but was reluctant despite demands from his wife, Laura Tierney, 31. The couple, who have been together for a decade and live in Hatfield Broad Oak, Essex, had six buses at their wedding in June he took his buses out on the road, his wife worked as his conductor, wearing a full uniform with a ticket machine around her neck."I think she's waiting for the day they will pay for the extension and the kitchen refurb in our house," he explained."She's supportive, she helps me, but she does not think I need that many buses, and she's desperate for me to sell them." Mr Tierney's focus is on collecting buses from the 1930s and 1940s, but his oldest vehicle is a model from buses were usually found at scrap heaps and needed restoring. He added: "I often tell myself I'm the only one to save them.""My particular interest is the really vintage ones from before the Second World War broke out."They are so full of character, and you need to imagine, when you're out on your own on a country lane, if you don't see anything that tells you you're in the 21st Century, you could be back in time." Restoring his father's bus from his childhood cost about £7, collection is kept on various farms in Hertfordshire, and the buses were driven by Mr Tierney to events across the also used them to take friends on trips and added: "We particularly like going into central London and driving around the city, especially at night, because the older buses come alive at night because of the bulbs they have in the saloons."You're never a dull person at a party when you own a bus." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

Northamptonshire holiday park expansion refusal appeal dismissed
Northamptonshire holiday park expansion refusal appeal dismissed

BBC News

time12 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Northamptonshire holiday park expansion refusal appeal dismissed

An appeal against a refusal to expand a luxury holiday park has been dismissed by the planning owners of Overstone Park Resort near Northampton wanted to add 77 holiday units to the 120 that already existed at the Northamptonshire Council turned down the application last year, but the owners appealed the government's Planning Inspectorate said the placement of 32 of the lodges on the eastern edge of the park would impact the "natural beauty [and] relative tranquillity" of the site. The plans were met with criticism from members of the public at the time, attracting about 150 objections and disapproval from the Lodge Owners' Association, the Local Democracy Reporting Service Park is a long-established golf resort complex, with a members' clubhouse, 115 lodges, tennis courts and a bowling refused the expansion plans on the basis that they would harm the character and appearance of the area, intrude on the designated green wedge and disturb the setting of heritage assets at the Overstone Hall Planning Inspectorate's report found the additional two-storey lodges proposed for the western edge of the park would undermine its visual and historical relationship within the setting of Overstone Park Resort previously said the expansion would help turn it into a luxury destination and allow further investment in state-of-the-art inspector agreed that the proposal would assist in improving the local tourist offer, leading to increased jobs and spending, as well as securing investment into the golf report concluded: "Whilst I find that the proposal would contribute positively to the economic and social objectives, it would result in significant environmental harm which would outweigh these benefits."I therefore conclude that the appeal should be dismissed." Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

The Bank of England's credibility is seeping away
The Bank of England's credibility is seeping away

Telegraph

time12 minutes ago

  • Telegraph

The Bank of England's credibility is seeping away

The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) should not have lowered its main policy interest rate this month. That cut from 4.25pc to 4pc was a 'significant error', I wrote last week, that could 'come back to bite us'. Financial market movements over the last week have convinced me I was wrong. The MPC's latest move was in fact a very significant error. If officials at the Bank of England aren't alarmed about the growing gap between the MPC's policy rate and the cost global investors now charge the UK Government to borrow, they should be. And if ministers aren't concerned, not least Treasury ministers, I have to wonder if they really understand what is going on. My main objection to the MPC's latest rate cut is that UK inflation remains high and is rising. By lowering rates when inflation is still clearly a problem, besetting Britain to a greater extent than other comparable economies, the MPC undermines the Bank of England's credibility – at a time when such credibility is sorely needed. During the year to June, the consumer price index rose 3.6pc, up from 3.4pc the previous month. This is the highest headline inflation rate since January 2024, with CPI growth consistently above the 2pc inflation target since last October. Driven by elevated food, energy and transport costs, UK inflation is the highest in the G7 – and has been since June 2024. Britain also uniquely saw month-on-month CPI increases in April, May and June, so our inflation outlier status has become even more stark over recent months. Earlier this month, even the MPC upped its inflation forecast to 4pc this autumn – but raised rates regardless. And there were no compelling reasons in the minutes of the committee's latest deliberations why price pressures will ease any time soon, let alone fast enough to justify dropping rates when inflation, on the Bank's own reckoning, will be double the official target as early as next month. The seeping away of the Bank's credibility is now playing out in real time, not least since last weekend. Over the past year, as the policy rate has come down incrementally from 5.25pc to 4pc, the rate the Government pays to borrow long-term money has moved decisively in the opposition direction. This is a bad sign, signalling that financial markets – not least the global pensions funds and insurance companies that lend government's big money and dominate sovereign bond markets – have a different view of inflation to MPC policymakers. In competitive auctions to lend the Government money, these major institutional investors, even as the MPC has been cutting, have been demanding higher rates when lending to compensate for the elevated inflation they still think is coming. Since last August, as the policy rate has shifted down 1.25 percentage points, the UK's 30-year gilt yield has been pushed sharply up – from less than 4.5pc a year ago to 5.3pc on the morning of Thursday Aug 7, prior to the MPC's midday announcement, a rise of more than 0.8 percentage points in the opposite direction. By last weekend, that market-driven borrowing cost had gone up to 5.43pc, flying in the face of the Bank of England. Some mortgage providers even raised fixed-term lending rates following the MPC's cut – no doubt because they saw gilt yields reflecting investors' concerns the committee's view on inflation is wrong. Such rate-splitting, as I call it, when policy and market rates move against each other, is a sign of growing financial instability. It indicates that market expectations have become unanchored from policymaker preferences – and in the end the market always wins. I'm concerned that, over the past week, we've seen the 30-year rate rise even more, touching 5.57pc on Friday. So since the policy rate has been lowered 0.25 percentage points, the long-term cost of government borrowing has moved rightly the same amount in the opposite direction. I argued last week that by lowering rates when inflation was clearly not tamed, the MPC was in danger of 'rate-splitting' to an even greater extent. That is what has happened. Long-term bond yields are influenced by a multitude of factors, of course, and have lately been nudging up across the world. But the UK's outlier inflation status is matched by its outlier status when it comes to long-term borrowing costs too. Our 30-year yield is also easily the highest in the G7. Even the governments of Europe's previous 'debt-crisis' nations can now borrow long-term money a lot more cheaply than the UK – namely Italy (4.52pc), Greece (4.26pc) and Spain (4.18) at the time of writing. And those rising borrowing costs, of course, need to be paid by the British state – increasingly, it seems, by borrowing even more. In April 2024, the Office for Budget Responsibility estimated that the UK Government would borrow £85bn over the following 12 months. When the fiscal year ended this April, that total was actually £148bn, no less than £105bn of which was spent on debt interest. In June alone, borrowing was £20.7bn – no less than £16.4bn of which was spent servicing our existing national debt. This is utter madness. While the MPC should not have cut rates earlier this month, in the end those really at fault are government ministers – and, more generally, a political and media class that, for so many years, has dismissed the concerns of those of us who have constantly warned that nation states, while they can of course borrow, need to both borrow and spend responsibly. Successive UK governments have not been doing so – today's Labour administration to an increasingly reckless extent.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store