Four additional EVs secure UK’s top-tier £3,750 grant
Their inclusion lowers entry pricing to £23,455 for the Renault 4, £23,945 for the 52kWh Renault 5, £25,350 for the Mini Countryman EV and £30,245 for the Alpine A290. These models join the Nissan Leaf, Ford Puma Gen-E, Ford E-Tourneo Courier and Citroën ë-C5 Aircross at the top of the scheme. A further 35 EVs remain eligible for the lower £1,500 grant.
The entry-level Renault 5, equipped with a 40kWh pack, stays in the lower band as it does not meet the emissions-linked criteria for the higher discount.
There are now more than 40 models that qualify for the ECG. However, most only qualify for “Band 2,” meaning buyers receive a 1,500-pound discount. Fun fact: Citroën was the first carmaker approved for the ECG on 5 August, but also only for the 1,500-pound subsidy.
The UK announced the new subsidy scheme in July, but it is still not clear which makes and models will benefit, as the criteria remain vague. The government did announce that the ECG has a total volume of 650 million pounds, and that vehicles with a listing price of less than £37,000 could be eligible for as much as £3,750 in subsidies.
Moreover, the government further limited the price cap in August. Previously, the grant also applied to more expensive trim levels as long as the base version of the same model met the price limit. As the number of eligible vehicles grows, the UK government has introduced a price cap of £42,000.
The announcement of the additional models qualifying for the ECG comes after the government confirmed an additional £1.5 billion in funding for the grant in the recent budget, with the end date pushed from 2028 to 2030. The scheme is intended to accelerate EV adoption during a period of increased model availability and ongoing pricing pressure across the sector.
Alongside purchase support, £200 million has been allocated to expand public charging infrastructure, targeting wider coverage and improved reliability across the UK network.
The update precedes the planned introduction of a national pay-per-mile system for EV taxation from 2028, signalling a shift in how zero-emission vehicles will be integrated into the country’s long-term fiscal framework. The combination of targeted incentives and future taxation measures reflects the government’s attempt to balance market stimulation with revenue planning as EV uptake grows.
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