9:42 am, July 17, 2026
The Electric Car Grant has helped more than 140,000 EV buyers save money in its first year.
That is according to new data from the Department for Transport (DfT) which has been hailing the scheme’s success in its first 12 months.
Launched one year ago yesterday (Jul 16), the grant offers a discount of either £3,750 or £1,500, determined by sustainability criteria.
Despite early criticism that the scheme was ‘too complicated’ the government now says that 58 are models currently eligible, contributing to the best month ever for new EV registrations earlier this year.
Ministers say that EV sales are now up 35% on the same point last year, thanks to the £2bn funding on offer via the Electric Car Grant.
Keir Mather, aviation, maritime and decarbonisation minister at the DfT, said: ‘In just one year, our Electric Car Grant has helped over 140,000 drivers save up to £3,750 on a new EV, and with nearly one in three cars sold now electric and sales up 35%, demand is stronger than ever and only going in one direction.
‘We have made it easier and cheaper than ever before to go electric, and with savings of up to £1,400 on running costs there’s never been a better time to make the switch, especially against the backdrop of global fuel price fluctuations.’
Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC, added: ‘The reintroduction of the Electric Car Grant is something we’d been calling for, so it’s great to see it making such a positive difference to EV sales in its first year.
‘The high upfront cost of a new EV has long been the biggest obstacle in the way of wider adoption. With 58 models now qualifying for the discount drivers have more choice than ever at varying price points.
‘And, of course, every new vehicle that comes on to the road will at some point feed through to the second-hand market enabling those drivers who don’t buy new to go electric too.’
News of the grant’s success comes in the same week that the DfT also confirmed plans to charge EV owners a per-mile charge from 2028.
You can read all about those plans here.