First £3750 electric car grants are 'welcome news' for auto industry

The government has announced the first vehicles to be eligible for a full £3750 discount under its Electric Car Grant scheme.

The scheme, which gives drivers money off purchases of specific models of new cars, had already made smaller discounts available on a range of electric vehicles, but two Ford models—the Ford Puma Gen-E and the Ford e-Tourneo Courier, are the first to take advantage of the full available discount on offer for the cars with the lowest environmental impact. 

There are now 28 different EVs eligible for grants of either £3750 or £1500 from manufacturers including Ford, Volkswagen, Renault and others. Lisa Brankin, Ford UK Chair and Managing Director, said: "We welcome the government’s decision to accelerate the transition to electric mobility and are proud that Ford’s commitment to sustainability has been recognised with the full EV grant."

Recent data from Autotrader has shown that models eligible for the grant have seen an 80 per cent increase in interest, and the move has been welcomed by industry body the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders. "The grant is a welcome response to consistent industry calls for an EV incentive to support consumer demand and comes on top of the substantive subsidies already provided by manufacturers," Mike Hawes, SMMT's chief executive told Professional Engineering. "Today’s announcement of additional eligible models is good news and, as September’s critical number-plate change fast approaches, rapid processing of applications is essential to ensure the greatest possible choice for consumers and certainty for the market.”

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