Car makers across the industry have launched their own electric vehicle discounts while waiting for the Government’s £650 million Electric Car Grant to take effect.
The ECG was announced in mid-July following months of pressure from manufacturers. It promises automatic reductions of £1,500 or £3,750 on list prices – but won’t start until August 11.
That four-week gap has prompted brands from Alfa Romeo to Volkswagen to create their own interim schemes.
The official grant has left several questions unanswered. It’s unclear which models will qualify or which discount level they’ll receive. Car makers must apply for each EV model individually – there’s no automatic enrollment.
Manufacturer Responses
Alfa Romeo cut £1,500 from its only electric model, the Junior Elletrica. The compact crossover now starts at £32,405 across all versions, including the 276bhp Veloce.
Cupra launched a ‘Grant Guarantee’ running until August 31. The Spanish brand knocked £1,500 off its Born family hatchback, bringing entry-level pricing to £34,190. The discount covers V1, V2 and V3 trims but excludes the Born VZ performance model.
Fiat applied £1,500 reductions to multiple models while awaiting eligibility confirmation. The 500e now starts at £25,535 and the 600e at £28,535. Their Abarth performance variants start at £28,485 and £35,485 respectively.
China’s GWM introduced a ‘Green Grant’ removing £1,500 from its Ora 03. The BYD Dolphin competitor now costs £21,245 for the Pure trim, rising to £29,245 for the GT.
Hyundai announced the most comprehensive discount program amid speculation that Korean-made EVs might not qualify for the official grant due to the country’s energy mix.
The Hyundai Electric Grant offers £3,750 off the Inster, reducing its price to £19,755. The Kona Electric, Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, Ioniq 9 and Ioniq 5 N all receive £1,500 discounts.
Leapmotor was first to launch its own scheme, possibly anticipating exclusion due to Chinese manufacturing. The T03 city car dropped £1,500 to £14,495, while the C10 SUV fell £3,750 to £32,750.
MG cut £1,500 from both the MG4 hatchback and MG5 EV SUV. They’re now priced at £25,645 and £27,245 respectively. The discount stacks with existing incentives, including a £1,000 test drive bonus.
Skoda joined sister brand Volkswagen with £1,500 discounts until August 31. The new Elroq and updated Enyaq SUVs qualify, except for all-wheel drive ‘x’ variants and vRS models. Post-discount pricing starts at £30,010 for the Elroq and £37,510 for the Enyaq.
Single-model brand Skywell applied £3,750 savings to its BE11. Combined with a £6,000 dealer finance contribution, the large SUV costs as little as £27,245.
Smart added £1,500 discounts to the #1 and #3 models on top of existing manufacturer contributions. Buyers can secure the #1 for £25,460 and the #3 for £30,460.
Volkswagen’s ‘Grant Guarantee’ offers £1,500 off the ID.3 hatchback and ID.4 SUV, excluding top-spec GTX models. The ID.3 starts at £29,360 after discount, with the ID.4 at £38,090. VW clarified that buyers can’t combine their discount with the official ECG if models qualify.
Volvo reduced the EX30 SUV by £1,500 to £31,560. The larger EX40 received a £1,500 cut to £44,760, while the EC40 dropped £2,000 to £50,410.
More manufacturers are expected to announce similar programs as the August 11 implementation date approaches.
