Four more EV models are now eligible for the Government’s maximum Electric Car Grant, giving drivers a £3,750 discount to help them go electric.

The Mini Countryman, Renault 4 and Renault 5 (52kWh), and the Alpine A290 all qualify for the top tier of the discount; reserved for models that meet tougher sustainability criteria.

Only four other models are eligible for the top-tier discount, including the Citroën ë-C5 Aircross Long Range, Ford E-Tourneo Courier and Puma Gen-E and the Nissan Leaf.

The announcement follows the extra £1.5bn pledged at the Autumn Budget to “power up the UK’s electric vehicle revolution”. This includes £1.3bn for the Electric Car Grant, increasing available funding and extending it to 2030, alongside £200m to roll out more charge points nationwide.

First launched in July, the Electric Car Grant is helping to tackle upfront costs – traditionally one of the biggest barriers to EV uptake – and has already helped over 40,000 drivers choose electric.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Our Electric Car Grant has already supported over 40,000 drivers to choose electric, and this latest expansion doubles the number of models available for the top discount – putting thousands of pounds back in more families’ pockets.

“We’re doubling down on our drive to help people buy EVs, extending the grant to push down costs and boosting charging access with a further £200m to expand the charging network across the UK.”

Ian Plummer, chief commercial officer at Autotrader, said: “We can clearly see the impact the grant is already having on consumer interest, with the number of people viewing grant eligible models on Autotrader increasing by over 100% in some instances, so with the addition of these news models to the scheme we will no doubt see similar levels of interest.

“We’re also pleased to hear that the Government is trying to make charging more accessible and cheaper for all. EVs enjoy significant running cost benefits, but only when the cars can be charged mainly on driveways or cheaper off street locations, so this investment is vital to ensure no driver is left behind on the journey to electric.”

Other EV changes announced in the Budget include a review of cost of public charging, looking at the impact of energy prices, wider cost contributors, and options for lowering these costs for consumers. The review will start in Q1 2026 and report by Q3 2026.

The Government is also launching a consultation on permitted development rights for cross‑pavement EV charging, which will make gaining access to EV charging quicker and cheaper for households without driveways. This is on top of the £25m scheme announced in July to support local authorities to provide discreet cross-pavement channel charging solutions for residents.

Elsewhere, the Government announced the introduction of 10-year 100% business rates relief for eligible EV charge points and EV-only forecourts, to ensure that they face no business rates liability. This will help keep charging costs down for drivers.

Accompanying this, the Treasury will extend the 100% first-year allowances (FYAs) for zero-emission cars and EV charge point infrastructure by a further year.

Finally, the Government will expand funding for the Drive35 programme, allocating a further £1.5bn to 2035 and taking total funding to £4bn over the next 10 years. This will support the development of UK capability in next-generation, zero-emission technology.