The United Kingdom has added six new electric vehicle models to its government Electric Car Grant (ECG) program.

Drivers can now enjoy a £3,750 discount on two new Ford electric vehicles—the Ford Puma Gen-E and the Ford e-Tourneo Courier—making them the first models to offer the maximum available savings.

According to government sources, the latest additions are part of a £650 million plan to boost savings and make owning an electric vehicle more affordable and easier than ever. The initiative will also support the UK automotive industry, a key sector identified in the UK Modern Industrial Strategy, which employs 133,000 people directly and a further 320,000 across the wider economy.

The newly announced models are:

• Ford Puma Gen-E: £3,750 discount
• Ford e-Tourneo Courier: £3,750 discount
• PEUGEOT e-308: £1,500 discount
• PEUGEOT e-408: £1,500 discount
• DS 3: £1,500 discount
• DS 4: £1,500 discount

These European and American brands stand out compared to Asian models within the subsidy framework.

Overall, the government is investing over £4.5 billion to accelerate the shift to electric vehicles for both industry and consumers, ensuring the UK remains a global leader in EV adoption. The UK is currently the largest electric vehicle market in Europe in 2024, with sales up nearly a third so far this year.

More models are expected to be approved in the coming weeks as manufacturers’ applications are assessed against the plan’s sustainability standards, ensuring that only the cleanest vehicles are eligible.

This move comes as recent data from Autotrader shows that the ECG is driving growth across the sector, with eligible car models experiencing up to an 80% increase in interest.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander stated that the program is “putting money back into people’s pockets and making it easier and cheaper for families to switch to electric vehicles, offering discounts of up to £3,750 on EVs.”

The government is also boosting confidence in the UK charging network, with over 83,000 public charging points currently available and more than 100,000 more expected to come online through the government’s £381 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund.

In a further effort to reduce costs and encourage adoption, the government announced a £63 million charging package in July, which includes funding to make home charging more accessible. This means EV owners without driveways can operate their electric vehicles for as little as 2 pence per mile.