Electric car grant – all the EVs with discounts in 2026

The UK government’s Electric Car Grant offers up to £3,750 off selected new electric cars, but not every EV qualifies and not every discount being advertised by car manufacturers is part of the official scheme.

Some cars qualify for the full £3,750 grant, while others qualify for the lower £1,500 grant. Plenty of electric cars don’t qualify at all, either because they’re too expensive, they don’t meet the government’s technical rules or they fall short of the scheme’s environmental criteria for vehicle and battery production.

Several car companies have responded by offering their own discounts instead. These are often described as “grants”, “EV contributions” or “electric car support”, but they’re not government grants. In most cases, they’re simply manufacturer-backed discounts designed to make ineligible cars look more competitive against models that do qualify.

For buyers, the practical question is simple: how much money comes off the price, and what do you lose elsewhere? A bigger up-front discount may be good news, but it could also replace a finance deposit contribution, a lower APR offer, a free home charger or another incentive that was previously available.

This guide lists the electric cars currently available with either an official government grant or a manufacturer-backed discount. We’ll keep updating it as new cars are added, offers change and manufacturers adjust their pricing.

Always check the latest position with the manufacturer or your local dealer before ordering, and make sure any discount, finance offer or delivery deadline is confirmed in writing.

Stuart says:

“The grant figure is useful, but it should not be the only number you look at. What matters is the total cost of buying or financing the car, not just the headline discount.
“Some manufacturers have used the government grant as a cue to change prices, alter finance offers or replace existing incentives. That means a car with a bigger grant is not automatically a better deal than it was before.
“Ask the dealer to show the full price, finance cost, deposit contribution, interest rate, delivery timing and any conditions before you commit. If the offer only looks good because one number has been highlighted and the rest have been hidden, be careful.”

Stuart Masson

Editor, The Car Expert

What you need to know

The government grant applies to selected new electric cars only. It does not apply to used cars, pre-registered cars or dealer demonstrators.

You do not apply for the grant yourself. If the car qualifies, the seller applies the grant as a discount when you buy the car.

There are two grant bands. Band 1 cars get up to £3,750 off, while Band 2 cars get up to £1,500 off.

To qualify, a car must be a zero-emission passenger car with a recommended retail price of no more than £37,000. It must also meet minimum range, warranty and production sustainability criteria.

Manufacturer discounts are different. If a car company offers its own “grant” on a model that does not qualify for the government scheme, that is not taxpayer-funded support. It is just a discount.

Discounts may be limited to specific versions, trim levels, finance agreements or delivery dates. They may also be changed or withdrawn without much notice, so check the latest terms before ordering.

Electric cars with the full £3,750 government grant

The cars below are currently listed by the government as Band 1 models, which means they qualify for the highest Electric Car Grant discount of up to £3,750.

The Band 1 list is where the biggest buyer benefit sits. In some cases, the higher grant makes a longer-range version much more attractive than a cheaper model with only the lower grant.

The catch is that manufacturers may also adjust prices, finance offers or deposit contributions at the same time. The extra grant money should make the car cheaper, but buyers still need to compare the full deal rather than assuming the saving is being passed on cleanly.

Electric cars with the £1,500 government grant

The following cars are currently listed by the government as Band 2 models, which means they qualify for a grant of up to £1,500.

The Band 2 grant still helps, but it is a smaller saving and may not be enough on its own to make one car better value than another. For many buyers, finance rates, insurance costs, charging needs, warranty cover and resale values will make a bigger difference than the £1,500 grant.

It is also important to check exactly which version qualifies. A model name appearing on the government list does not always mean every trim, battery size or high-performance version is eligible.

Electric cars with manufacturer discounts instead

Some manufacturers are offering their own discounts on electric cars that do not qualify for the government grant. These offers can be useful, but they should not be confused with the official Electric Car Grant.

The table below lists manufacturer-backed discounts we are currently tracking. These offers can change quickly, so check the latest details with the manufacturer or dealer before placing an order.

These discounts can still be worth considering. A manufacturer-backed saving has the same immediate effect on the invoice as a government grant if it is applied cleanly to the price of the car.

The difference is that manufacturer offers are controlled entirely by the car company. They may be changed, extended, withdrawn or replaced by another offer at short notice. They may also sit alongside finance incentives, or replace them, depending on the brand and dealer.

Why do some electric cars qualify and others do not?

The Electric Car Grant is not simply a price discount for every affordable EV. The government applies a series of technical and environmental tests before a model can be approved.

To qualify, a car must be a new zero-emission passenger car and meet minimum requirements for battery range and warranty cover. It also has to sit under the government’s price cap and meet sustainability criteria for the manufacturer and the production process.

That is why some relatively affordable electric cars do not appear on the government list, while other models do. The result can look confusing from the showroom floor, especially when two cars with similar prices and driving ranges receive different levels of support.

The scheme also creates some odd-looking situations within the same model range. A larger-battery version may receive more support than a cheaper version, or a lower trim may qualify while a more expensive trim does not.

What should you check before ordering?

The first thing to check is whether the exact car you want qualifies. Do not assume that every version of a model is eligible just because the model name appears on a list.

Ask the dealer to confirm the final on-the-road price after any grant or discount has been applied. That should include VAT, delivery, registration fees and any compulsory charges.

You should also ask whether the discount is linked to a finance agreement. The government grant should not require you to take a particular finance product, but manufacturer discounts and deposit contributions may have their own conditions.

Finance customers should look beyond the monthly payment. Check the deposit, APR, guaranteed future value, total amount payable and any mileage or early-settlement restrictions before deciding whether the offer works for you.

Delivery timing matters as well. Some offers may only apply to cars registered by a certain date, which could restrict you to cars already in stock rather than a factory order.

Finally, make sure everything is written down before you sign. A verbal assurance from a salesperson is not enough if the price, grant eligibility or finance terms later change.

Does the grant apply to used electric cars?

No, the Electric Car Grant only applies to new cars at the point of first registration. It does not apply to used cars, nearly new cars, pre-registered stock or dealer demonstrators.

This is important because some dealers may advertise nearly new or pre-registered electric cars alongside new cars, especially if the price looks attractive. Those cars may still be good value, but they should not be described as receiving the government grant.

If the car has already been registered, the grant should not be available.

Can the grant be combined with other offers?

Sometimes, but it depends on the manufacturer and the dealer.

The government grant is applied to the price of an eligible new car. In theory, that does not stop a manufacturer or dealer offering other incentives as well, such as a finance deposit contribution, lower APR or free home charger.

In practice, some offers may be changed once a grant is introduced. A car that gets £1,500 or £3,750 off through the government scheme may no longer come with the same finance support it had before.

That is why buyers should compare the whole offer, not just the discount. A grant is only one part of the deal.

Which brands benefit most?

The biggest winners are brands with several eligible models, especially where key cars qualify for the full £3,750 grant. Renault, Nissan, Ford, Citroën, Kia and Stellantis brands (Citroën, Fiat, Peugeot, Vauxhall) are well represented across the government list.

The grant may be particularly helpful for smaller and more affordable EVs, where £3,750 can make a noticeable difference to the price. Models like the Ford Puma Gen-E, Nissan Leaf, Renault 4, Renault 5 and Citroën ë-C5 Aircross Long Range all become more interesting when the larger grant is applied.

The picture is less straightforward for brands whose cars do not qualify and are relying on their own discounts instead. A manufacturer-backed saving can still be useful, but buyers should remember that it is a normal commercial offer rather than part of the government scheme.

What has changed since the grant was launched?

The government’s roll-out of the Electric Car Grant was messy at first. The scheme was announced before many cars had been assessed, which meant buyers and dealers were left waiting to find out which models would qualify.

That has improved as more cars have been added to the official list. The picture is still changing, but buyers now have a clearer idea of which models receive the full £3,750 grant, which get the lower £1,500 grant and which are relying on manufacturer discounts instead.

The market has also adjusted around the grant. Some manufacturers have cut prices, some have introduced their own discount schemes and others have changed finance offers. That means the headline grant is only part of the story.

This article will be regularly updated as more deals are announced, amended and withdrawn. Additional reporting by Sean Rees.
Last update: 23 July 2026.