The AA said it is “pleased [its] calls have been heard”, while CEO of charging firm InstaVolt, Delvin Lane, claimed the government’s announcement “could not [have] come at a better time.”
An Auto Express poll of over 1,300 respondents, carried out with our parent company Carwow, has indicated a positive response from the car buying public. 51 per cent said they were in favour of the Government offering grants to make EVs more affordable with a further 19 per cent undecided.
40 percent said that the potential £3,750 discount would make them more likely to consider buying an electric car in the next 12 months and another 27 per cent said that it may do.
Which cars will be eligible for the EV grant?
Just under 50 new electric car models would be eligible for the EV grant, if their makers pass the necessary criteria, with more becoming clear in the coming days.
There are also a number of electric cars that are just outside the £37,000 threshold and manufacturers will be reviewing whether to lower the prices on these models in order to qualify.
We have also seen heavy discounting on new electric cars over recent months through our Find A Car service, with manufacturers keen to boost demand. The grant will be applied on the car’s recommended retail price (RRP) but it is likely that some level of discounts will remain in place in addition to the new EV grant, in many cases.
Many EVs narrowly miss out on the £37,000 cut-off point for EV grant eligibility, including the Vauxhall Grandland Electric (£37,355), the Renault Scenic (£37,195) and the BYD Atto 3 (£37,705). Manufacturers of EVs in the £37k to £40k price bracket are sure to be looking at their pricing structures with a view to bringing the starting prices down and qualifying for the grant.
Every EV that could get the EV grant
Below are the UK’s cheapest electric cars under the £37,000 price ceiling for the EV grant. These models could qualify for the grant if they meet the sustainability criteria.
Easier home charging
That’s not all, however, as the government has also invested £25 million to aid private councils in installing cross-pavement charging solutions; these so-called ‘gulleys’ involve digging a small trench into the pavement in which a flap will be installed, allowing a charging cable to be draped across the road without becoming a trip hazard.
Co-founder of cross-pavement charging solution firm, KerboCharge, Michael Goulden, said he was “delighted by the news of the Government grant”, stating that it “demonst[es] the Government’s backing for cross-pavement charging and subsidising the cost for tens of thousands of UK households.”
Clearer signage for public charging hubs
That £25 million comes as part of a larger £63 million lump sum towards building appropriate signage for EV charging stations, something founder of campaign group, FairFuel UK, Quentin Wilson, said was “a very welcome development”.
“I’m overjoyed to see that finally non-EV drivers will see that there is a charging infrastructure to give them the confidence to switch,” Wilson explained. “Years of not having any charging signage on our roads has helped stoke the myth ‘there’s no infrastructure’.
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