The government has confirmed 13 more models to be eligible for its new Electric Car Grant (ECG), including EVs from Renault, Nissan and Vauxhall - having announced that six electric Citroëns were eligible earlier this week.
The ECG is applicable to certain electric cars priced at £37,000 or under, depending on the emissions output of the countries where they are built, and awards discounts of either £1500 or £3750. This first batch of confirmed cars have received the lower amount, but some are among the cheapest EVs on sale already, making a £1500 discount all the more significant.
First 19 ECG cars: what they cost now
Alpine A290: £32,000
Citroën e-Berlingo: £29,740
Citroën e-C3: £20,595
Citroën e-C3 Aircross:£21,595
Citroën e-C4: £26,150
Citroën e-C4 X: £27,215
Citroën e-C5 Aircross: £32,565
Renault Mégane: £30,995
Renault 4: £25,495
Renault 5: £21,495
Renault Scenic: £35,495
Nissan Micra: £21,495
Nissan Ariya: TBC
Vauxhall Corsa Electric: £26,005
Vauxhall Combo Life Electric: £30,690
Vauxhall Astra Electric: £33,505
Vauxhall Mokka Electric: £31,005
Vauxhall Frontera Electric: £22,495
Vauxhall Grandland Electric: £35,455
The Nissan Ariya is currently priced from £39,645 in entry-level Evolve trim, and so it will need a price cut to come in under the £37k threshold. Nissan says it will reveal pricing changes on Wednesday 13 August but it is not clear whether the SUV will receive a cheaper new trim level to take it below that point or simply have its on-paper price reduced.
Nissan GB managing director James Taylor hailed the ECG as "a clear signal to both customers and manufacturers that they are prioritising the uptake of electric vehicles in the UK, and on providing affordable options to consumers".
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This is a joke of a scheme and a waste of taxpayers money - and I am speaking as a person who is shortly to order a car that is eligible for the lower band ECG.
With the amount of manufacturer discounting of EVs I am dubious as whether another £1500 handout from the Govt will make much difference. However, if a stimulus is deemed necessary I would have targeted at encouraging the switching of higher emission ICE cars to EVs. Firstly, I would offer it only to private buyers - businesses and corporate owners are already well incentivised, Secondly, I would only offer the ECG to those buying their first car or trading in (or who have sold an older than 3 year old ICE) car within the previous 3 months. Thirdly, I would extend the grant to those buying an up to 3 year old used EV. These conditions would prevent the ECG (or the earlier versions) being given to recipients multiple times and help those on the bottom rungs of the car ownership ladder. It is a gross waste of taxpayer money to give me a payment when I have previously benefited from a completely free home charger including installation costs, a £5000 grant on my first EV and a £4500 grant on my second and the likelihood of another £1500 on my third. In my opinion the Govt attention should be focused on encouraging the scrappage of old and highly polluting vehicles owned by those who cannot afford to buy a new and at £37,000 relatively expensive new EV without some help.
If cars made in France where most of the electricity comes from nuclear are only eligable for £1500, there arent going to be many, if any that get the £3,750 grant. And given all EVs previously got more than £1,500 discount to shift them, wont this just mean the grant goes straight to the manufacturer, who can reduce their discounts now?
Surely the rebate should have gone straight to the public after buying a car so that actual financial cost to the public (the ones this scheme should have been aimed at) went down?
I don't understand why the Renault EVs are not eligible for the full ECG when not only as you say most of France's electricity comes from nuclear generation but their batteries are made in a plant close to the car manufacturing facility. On this basis I would guess that the only EV that will be eligible will be the forthcoming Nissan Leaf being built at Sunderland. As the prices have yet to be announced Nissan can easily take the £2250 difference between the Band 1and Band 2 ECG as extra margin by adding this to the retail price before deducting the full grant.
I had an ECG many years ago, showed my heart was fine...