Are you passionate about reducing your carbon footprint while enjoying a smooth ride? Then it’s time to hop on board the electric car revolution! The UK has been leading the charge when it comes to promoting sustainable transportation, and there are now more options than ever for getting behind the wheel of an eco-friendly vehicle. In this blog post, we’ll be exploring the best electric car schemes available in the UK – from government incentives to private leasing deals – so you can make an informed decision and start driving green today.
The UK has a number of schemes in place to encourage drivers to switch to electric cars
There are a number of reasons to switch to an electric car. Electric cars are cheaper to run and maintain than petrol or diesel cars, and produce zero emissions. The UK government offers a number of schemes to encourage drivers to make the switch to electric cars, including the Plug-in Car Grant, which offers up to £3,500 towards the cost of a new or used electric car, and the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme, which offers up to £350 towards the cost of installing a home charging point.
Electric cars are becoming increasingly popular in the UK, with sales increasing by over 50% in 2017. With continued government support and a growing charging infrastructure, there has never been a better time to switch to an electric car.
Currently, the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) is offering four grants to help fund electric cars and EV chargers:
- Plug-in Car Grant (PICG) – discount when buying a brand new low-emissions car
- Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) – grant contributing to the cost of charging point installation at home
- Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) – helps businesses with the upfront cost of charger installation
- On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) – support for local authorities looking to install on-street residential car chargers
The best electric car scheme in the UK is the Plug-in Car Grant
The UK’s Plug-in Car Grant offers up to £3,500 off the price of a new electric car, making it one of the best electric car schemes in the country. The grant is available for both battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and can be applied for through the government’s website.
The grant has been hugely successful in encouraging people to switch to an electric car, with over 50,000 cars sold through the scheme since it was introduced in 2011. The grant has also helped to make electric cars more affordable, with the average price of a BEV now falling below £30,000.
If you’re thinking of switching to an electric car, then the Plug-in Car Grant should definitely be on your radar. It’s a great way to save money on your new car, and could help you make the switch to electric motoring.
How the Plug-in Car Grant works
The UK government’s Plug-in Car Grant offers a discount of up to £3,500 towards the purchase of a new electric car. The grant is available for cars that have been approved by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV).
To be eligible for the grant, you must be buying a new car that is registered and used in the UK. The car must also be powered by an electric motor that has a minimum power output of 50kW.
The maximum discount available under the grant is £3,500. This is calculated based on the price of the car before any other discounts or grants are applied. For example, if you’re buying an electric car that costs £30,000, you’ll receive a discount of £3,500.
If you’re thinking of buying an electric car, make sure you check whether you’re eligible for the Plug-in Car Grant before making your purchase.
What cars are eligible for the Plug-in Car Grant?
The Plug-in Car Grant is a government initiative that offers up to £3,500 off the cost of buying a new electric car. The grant is available to both private individuals and businesses, and applies to cars that are bought on or after 1 October 2018. To be eligible for the grant, cars must have a minimum range of 70 miles and emit less than 50g/km of CO2. A full list of eligible cars can be found on the government website.
How much money can you get from the Plug-in Car Grant?
The Plug-in Car Grant offers up to £3,500 towards the cost of buying a new electric car. The grant is available to both private individuals and businesses, and can be applied for online.
The UK government offers a number of different electric car schemes, each with its own set of benefits.
The Plug-In Car Grant provides up to £3,500 towards the cost of buying a new or used plug-in hybrid or all-electric vehicle.
The Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme offers up to 75% off the cost of installing a home charging point, up to a maximum of £500.
The Workplace Charging Scheme offers up to £300 towards the cost of installing workplace charging points, and also provides access to subsidised rates for electricity.
Finally, the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme provides funding towards the installation of on-street residential chargepoints, for those who do not have off-street parking.
Schemes in the UK are available for low emission vehicles, and following are eligible
- Wheelchair accessible vehicles
- Motorcycles and mopeds
- Small and large vans
- Small and large trucks
- Taxis
Wheelchair accessible vehicles
Some wheelchair accessible vehicles can be sold at a 35% discount. The seller will include the discount in the purchase price.
The maximum discount is £2,500.
If you work for a vehicle dealership or manufacturer, you can apply for a grant using the online portal. There are a limited number of grants – you should find out how many are available before you apply.
To be eligible for a grant, the vehicle must:
- be converted from a passenger vehicle (sometimes known as a ‘category M1 vehicle’)
- have zero tailpipe CO2 emissions
- be able to travel at least 112km (70 miles) without any emissions
- cost less than £35,000 (recommended retail price, including VAT and delivery fees, not including cost of conversion)
The vehicles that can be converted are:
- Citroen e-Berlingo
- Citroen e-Spacetourer Business M
- Citroen e-Spacetourer Business XL
- Nissan e-NV200 Combi (5 seater)
- Nissan e-NV200 Combi (7 seater)
- Peugeot e-Rifter
- Vauxhall Vivaro-e Life – Combi
Motorcycles and mopeds
Some motorcycles and mopeds can be sold at a 35% discount. The seller will include the discount in the purchase price.
If you work for a vehicle dealership or manufacturer, you can apply for a grant using the online portal.
Motorcycles
The maximum discount available on some motorcycles is £500.
To be eligible for a grant, the vehicle must:
- have no CO2 emissions
- be able to travel at least 50km (31 miles) between charges
- have a recommended retail price of less than £10,000, including VAT and delivery fees.
The eligible vehicles are:
- Artisan ES1-Pro
- Artisan EV0 Monster
- Artisan EV4000
- Artisan JS2A
- Askoll eS3
- Askoll eSpro 70
- Askoll NGS3
- Cake Kalk Ink&
- Caofen F80 (L3)
- E-Max VS-1
- Eccity 125
- Eccity 125+
- EcoNeco Revival
- Ecooter E1R
- Ecooter E2
- Evoke Urban Classic
- Evoke Urban S
- Horwin CR6
- Horwin CR6 Pro
- Horwin EK3
- Horwin SK3
- Kollter RS1
- Lexmoto LX06
- Lexmoto LX08
- MAEVING RM1
- NIU NQi GT Pro Cargo
- NIU NQi GTS
- NIU NQi GTS Cargo
- NIU NQi GTS Pro
- NIU NQi GTS Sport
- Piaggio One
- Rieju NUUK
- SEAT MO e-Scooter
- Silence S01
- Sunra Miku Super
- Sunra Robo-S
- Surron Storm Bee
- THELMOCO Farsta 6000
- THELMOCO Ultra
- Torrot Muvi
- Vespa Elettrica
- Vmoto 100
- Vmoto 120
- Vmoto Super Soco CPX
- Vmoto Super Soco TC Max
- Voge ER10 Euro 5
- Yadea G5S
- Zride Puma
- Zride Tiger X
Mopeds
The maximum discount available on some mopeds is £150.
To be eligible for a grant, the vehicle must:
- have no CO2 emissions
- be able to travel at least 30km (19 miles) between charges
- have a recommended retail price of less than £10,000, including VAT and delivery fees
The eligible vehicles are:
- Artisan EV2000
- Artisan P2 Utility
- Askoll eS1
- Askoll eS2
- Askoll eSpro 45
- Askoll NGS1
- Askoll NGS2
- Bilis LX04
- Bloova Delivery
- Bloova Retro
- Cake Osa +
- Cake Osa Flex
- Caofen F80 (L1)
- E-Max VS-1
- E-Max VS-2
- Ecooter E1S
- GOVECS GO! T
- Horwin EK1
- Kollter ES1
- Lexmoto Cypher
- Lexmoto Impulse
- MGB G1
- NIU M-Series
- NIU M+
- NIU N-Cargo
- NIU N-Series
- NIU NGT
- NIU NQi Pro
- NIU U-Series
- NIU UQi GT Pro
- Peugeot e-Ludix
- Piaggio One
- Rieju NUUK
- Segway E110s
- Segway E125s
- Sunra Miku Max
- Sunra Robo
- Sunra Ronic
- Surron Light Bee
- Talaria Sting
- THELMOCO Senda
- THELMOCO X-Tra
- THELMOCO Zen
- Torrot Muvi City
- Tromox Mino
- UBCO 2×2 ADV
- UGBEST e-City
- Vespa Elettrica
- Vmoto Super Soco CUX
- Vmoto Super Soco TC
- Vmoto Super Soco TS1200R
- Vmoto Super Soco TSX
- Yadea C1S (Euro 5)
- Yadea G5
- Yadea G5 (Euro 5)
- Yadea S-Like
- Yadea S-Like (Euro 5)
- Yamaha NEO’s
Vans
Some vans can be sold at a 35% discount. The seller will include the discount in the purchase price.
If you work for a vehicle dealership or manufacturer, you can apply for a grant using the online portal. There are a limited number of grants – you should find out how many are available before you apply.
Small vans
The maximum discount available for some small vans is £2,500.
To be eligible for a grant, the vehicle must:
- be less than 2,500 kilograms (kg) gross vehicle weight
- have CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km
- be able to travel at least 96km (60 miles) without any emissions
The eligible vehicles are:
- Citroën e-Berlingo
- Fiat e-Doblo
- Maxus eDeliver 3 (short wheel base variants)
- Nextem Orca
- Nissan e-NV200
- Nissan Townstar
- Nissan Voltia
- Peugeot e-Partner
- Renault Kangoo E-Tech
- Renault Kangoo ZE
- Renault Zoe Van
- Toyota Proace City Electric
- Vauxhall Combo-e
Large vans
The maximum discount available for some large vans is £5,000.
To be eligible for a grant, the vehicle must:
- be between 2,500kg and 4,250kg gross vehicle weight
- have CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km
- be able to travel at least 96km (60 miles) without any emissions
The eligible vehicles are:
- BD Auto eTraffic
- BD e-Boxer
- BD e-Ducato
- BD e-Relay
- Citroën e-Dispatch
- Citroën e-Relay
- DFSK EC31
- DFSK EC35
- Fiat e-Ducato
- Fiat E-Scudo
- Ford E-Transit (Leader)
- Ford E-Transit (Trend)
- LDV EV80
- LEVC VN5
- MAN eTGE
- Maxus eDeliver 3
- Maxus eDeliver 3 LWB Chassis Cab
- Maxus eDeliver 9
- Maxus eDeliver 9 MC L3 Chassis Cab
- Maxus eDeliver 9 LC L4 Chassis Cab
- Mercedes-Benz eVito
- Mercedes-Benz eVito Premium
- Mercedes-Benz eVito Progressive
- Mercedes eSprinter
- Peugeot e-Boxer
- Peugeot e-Expert
- Renault Master ZE (3.1 and 3.5 tonnes)
- Renault Trucks Master ZE
- Toyota Proace Electric
- Vauxhall Vivaro-e
- Volkswagen ABT e-Transporter
- Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo Commerce
- Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo Commerce Plus
Trucks
Some trucks can be sold at a 20% discount. The seller will include the discount in the purchase price.
If you work for a vehicle dealership or manufacturer, you can apply for a grant using the online portal. There are a limited number of grants – you should find out how many are available before you apply.
Small trucks
The maximum discount available for some small trucks is £16,000.
These vehicles are sometimes called N2 vehicles.
To be eligible for a grant, the vehicle must:
- be between 4,250kg and 12,000kg gross weight
- have CO2 emissions of at least 50% less than the equivalent conventional Euro VI vehicle that can carry the same capacity
- be able to travel at least 96km (60 miles) without any emissions
The eligible vehicles are:
- FUSO eCanter
- Paneltex Z75
- Tevva T7 – T133 (Incomplete)
Large trucks
The maximum discount available for some large trucks is £25,000.
These vehicles are sometimes called N3 vehicles.
To be eligible for a grant, the vehicle must:
- be heavier than 12,000kg
- have CO2 emissions of at least 50% less than the equivalent conventional Euro VI vehicle that can carry the same capacity
- be able to travel at least 96km (60 miles) without any emissions
The eligible vehicles are:
- Electra e-Compact
- Electra e-Star 27-350
- DAF CF Electric Tractor Unit
- Dennis Eagle E-Collect RCV
- Renault Trucks D-Range
Taxis
Some taxis can be sold at a 20% discount. The seller will include the discount in the purchase price.
The maximum discount is £7,500.
If you work for a vehicle dealership or manufacturer, you can apply for a grant using the online portal.
To be eligible for a grant, the vehicle must:
- be a purpose-built taxi
- have CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km
- be able travel at least 112km (70 miles) without any emissions
The eligible vehicles are:
- Dynamo Taxi
- LEVC TX
Conclusion
The electric car scheme in the UK is a great way to reduce your emissions and save money. With so many options available, it can be difficult to choose which one is best for you. However, by researching each option and weighing up the benefits of owning an electric car against the costs involved, you can make an informed decision that will help you switch to a greener lifestyle with ease. We hope this article has given you all the information you need about electric cars in the UK and helped guide your decision-making process.