Government confirms more models for Electric Car Grant scheme: comment

Commenting on news that a further 13 models of EV will qualify for the Government’s Electric Car Grant scheme Colin Walker, Head of Transport at the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said: "EV sticker prices continue to fall, driving up sales as more and more people are able to access the savings of hundreds, even thousands, of pounds a year that come from running an EV over a petrol car. These grants should accelerate that process, enabling even more people to make the shift to cleaner and cheaper electric driving, and enjoy substantial savings in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.
 
“New EVs sold today will typically hit the second-hand market in about three years, with recent industry figures showing a surge in demand for used EVs. Price parity has already been reached between used EVs and their petrol equivalents enabling drivers to make savings of around £1600 a year from the moment they get their hands on the wheel. [1]
 
“However, the impact of these grants could be undermined by the Government’s recent weakening of its EV sales targets, as they risk disincentivising competition between manufacturers and driving down EV sales. [2] This in turn will stunt the growth of the second-hand market, leaving the majority of us who buy used cars stuck driving dirtier and more expensive petrol cars for longer”.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. Best-selling second-hand EVs saving drivers £1,600 a year: https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/2024/best-selling-second-hand-evs-saving-drivers-1-600-a-year 

2. Weakening of UK EV sales rules ‘likely to result in significantly more carbon emissions’: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/may/19/weakening-of-uk-ev-sales-rules-likely-to-result-in-significantly-more-carbon-emissions 

For more information or for interview requests:

George Smeeton, Head of Communications, ECIU, Tel: 07894 571 153, email: george.smeeton@eciu.net