After a three-year hiatus, ministers have reintroduced taxpayer-funded discounts on electric cars in a bid to accelerate Britain's transition to EVs.

Labour announced its new Electric Car Grant (ECG) on 14 July, with Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander hailing it as the scheme to 'unlock' the nation's 'transition to zero emission vehicles' with promises of reducing prices by as much as £3,750.

Its arrival comes in the wake of a slump in private EV sales and a chorus of industry players and car manufacturers demanding a wave of purchase incentives to help them to achieve binding zero emission vehicle sales targets set out by the ZEV mandate.

The Electric Car Grant forms part of the UK’s Plan for Change, and replaces the Conservative's scrapped Plug-In Car Grant which ended in 2022.

But it's not as easy as walking into a showrooms and expecting to see the cost of a new EV slashed. 

Only models up to £37,000 are eligible and manufacturers need to adhere to certain sustainability criteria. And car makers have to apply for grants, which has resulted in huge delays announcing qualifying cars as Government bean counters determine which models will be subsidised.

Here's a full list of every electric car that's qualified for the grant to date... 

What is the electric car grant?

The ECG is backed by a £650million scheme that's due to run until 2028-29. 

It offers buyers money off new all-electric models that are sustainably manufactured and priced at – or under – £37,000.

But the grant differs to the previous scheme under Tory leadership from 2011 to 2022 - one because it only supports the greenest EVs. 

Once the Department for Transport deems if a vehicle qualifies at all, it then has to determine the band based on the car's 'sustainability criteria'. 

This includes the emissions produced during the battery's manufacturing, the vehicle's assembly, and the carbon intensity of the electric grids in the countries where the car is made. 

A certain threshold (which has not been confirmed by the DfT) needs to be met to qualify as a 'Band 1' model and the full £3,750 subsidy. Models failing to meet this benchmark will be deemed 'Band 2' and only receive a £1,500 discount.

Which models qualify for the Electric Car Grant?

Due to the prolonged application and review process, the Government has in recent weeks been releasing details of which EV models are eligible in drips and drabs.

It says it is doing so 'as fast as it can'.

This, however, has created a lot of waiting, uncertainty and frustration.

It took over three weeks for the first four eligible models from Citroen to be announced, but the numbers have continued to rise since. 

Below is the list of every manufacturer and model that's been given the green light for the ECG. 

*We will add to this guide when new EVs are confirmed for the grant

Alpine

Models eligible: Band 2 £1,500: A290

French performance brand Alpine has just one model in the Government's ECG list; the A290 electric hot hatch.

The sporty city car has qualified for the £1,500 grant, meaning the compact EV now starts from £32,000.

Despite being listed under 'Renault Alpine' in the Government's list, Alpine is a separate brand to Renault, although it is owned by the French car making giant. It serves as the Group's performance and motorsport brand, and develops its own technologies.

Citroen

Models eligible: Band 2 £1,500: e-C3 and e-C3 Aircross, e-C4 and e-C4 X, e-C5 Aircross, e-Berlingo

Citroen was the first manufacturer to be awarded the grant, with four models passing the lower band (2): The e-C3, e-C4, e-C5 and e-Berlingo van all have £1,500 discounted from their OTR.

With the £1,500 ECG applied, the new e-C3 is now available from £20,595, the new e-C3 Aircross starts at £21,595, and the New e-C5 Aircross can be acquired from £32,565. The e-Berlingo (M versions only) van will now cost from £29,740.

Cupra

Models eligible: Band 2 £1,500: Born

Spanish brand Cupra’s Born EV also qualifies for Labour's official ECG and now has the £1,500 discount automatically applied. 

So now the Born range costs from £34,190 for the 59kWh battery and from £35,495 for the 79kWh battery.

DS Automobiles

Models eligible: Band 2 £1,500: DS3, No.4

The DS3 has also passed the Government's strict emissions-based requirements to qualify for a £1,500 ECG discount.

With up to 248 miles of range, this compact crossover is more than suitable for most journeys. Though, residual values for this particular car have proven poor. In June, the Daily Mail reported that it depreciates 66.7 per cent after just one year.

The DS No.4 is a family hatchback promising 279 miles of range. However, order books for the car only opened in August and first deliveries won't arrive until after October.

Ford

Models eligible: Band 1 £3,750: Puma Gen-E, E-Tourneo Courier

Ford holds the esteemed privilege of being the first brand to be awarded the Government's full Band 1 £3,750 discount for two of its models.

The Puma Gen-E - the electrified variant of Britain's best-selling new model in 2023 and 2024 - and its E-Tourneo Courier minivan have been passed the ECG's highest emissions-based threshold.

Both models are produced at the Craiova factory in Romania. The batteries - which use chemistry supplied from South Korea - are assembled there too, while the electric drive units are manufactured at company's Halewood plant in Merseyside. 

It's this European-based production that's likely seen both models secure the Band 1 grant. 

The entry-level Puma is said to be good for 234 miles of range, which is more than suitable for a jacked-up supermini that will predominantly be used in town. The 177 miles of the E-Tourneo Courier, however, is somewhat limited against rivals. 

Nissan

Models eligible: Band 2 £1,500: Ariya, Micra

Struggling Japanese manufacturer Nissan has two EV models that now receive the £1,500 ECG: the Ariya and the Micra. 

The Micra is the more exciting model to have the saving applied because it is one of three new cars Nissan is launching this year and brings back the iconic nameplate in electric form.

It goes on sale in September, and the discount will already be applied – it will cost from £21,495.

The Ariya now starts from £33,500 thanks to the ECG.

Peugeot

Models eligible: Band 2 £1,500: e-208, e-2008, e-308, e-408, e-Rifter

French manufacturer Peugeot has five models in the lower Electric Car Grant. This includes the e-208, e-2008, e-308, e-408 and e-Rifter MPV.

The first models confirmed were the new e-208, now available from £28,595, the e-2008 from £32,195 and the new e-Rifter from £30,850 with the £1,500 grant discount applied.

Applications for the e-308 and e-408 were passed a couple of weeks later and see both models also qualify for the £1,500 discount.  

Renault

Models eligible: Band 2 £1,500: Renault 4, Renault 5, Renault Megane, Renault Scenic

Renault's Alpine A290, Megane, Scenic, R4 and R5 EVs all receive the £1,500 discount, bringing the R5 down to £21,495 for the entry-level version and £25,495 for the R4 entry-level.

The Megane costs from £30,995 and the Scenic E-Tech from £35,495.

Renault has confirmed that the new ECG will be applied to all orders taken from 16 July, backdating the discount to customers who bought any of the eligible models from that date.

Vauxhall

Models eligible: Band 2 £1,500: Astra Electric, Combo Life Electric, Corsa Electric, Frontera Electric, Grandland Electric, Mokka Electric

Vauxhall has had its whole electric range confirmed for Band 2, which sees the Corsa Electric, Combo Life Electric, Astra Electric, Mokka Electric, Frontera Electric and Grandland Electric all reduced by £1,500.

The Vauxhall’s Frontera Electric family SUV starts from £22,495 OTR, while the popular Corsa Electric is available from £26,005.

The Mokka Electric starts from £31,005, while the Astra Electric and Astra Sports Tourer now start from £33,505 and £34,705, respectively.

The Grandland Electric is the most expensive with the grant applied costing £35,455.

Volkswagen

Models eligible: Band 2 £1,500: ID.3

Volkswagen's smallest electric car, the ID.3, is the first VW EVs now eligible for the Government scheme.

With the £1,500 discount the ID.3 range is available from £29,360 for the ID.3 Pure Essential.

Which brands are offering their own electric car grants?

Chinese brands are unlikely to be included in the Electric Car Grant on manufacturing–related emissions ground, due to the coal use for energy creation in the East Asian country.

So most Chinese manufacturers 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 non-Chinese brands have also released their own grants while they wait to hear if they pass the Government’s application process.

We’ve compiled a full list of all the car makers that are offering their own manufacturer electric car grants – from £1,500 to £3,750 – so it’s worth checking to see if the model you want is discounted by the car maker even if it’s not part of the official ECG.

How do you get the ECG discount?

The Electric Car Grant discounts will automatically be applied to recommended retail prices of vehicles that qualify. 

Once the Government has approved a model, the manufacturer will discount the price online, in showrooms and dealerships.

There's no paperwork for car buyers to complete to gain the discount on your new EV - it's all done for you.

What is a sustainable EV? Why is the grant focusing on ‘green’ electric cars?

While electric vehicles are lauded for their zero tailpipe emissions, the carbon emissions and environmental impact during production hinder them from being completely ‘green’.

Therefore, the Government is looking at the carbon emissions across the vehicle’s entire lifetime, focusing on how sustainably each model is made, rewarding those that deliver zero driving emissions and low production emissions.

Labour says it will grant the car makers with only the ‘highest manufacturing sustainability standards’ with discounts.

To qualify manufacturers must hold a Science Based Target at minimum, verified by the independent Science Based Targets initiative, which aligns with the Paris Agreement goals.

If it does not pass these checks it will not be eligible for the grant.