The plug-in grant for low-emission vehicles is designed to promote the uptake of electric vehicles in the UK.
The grant provides a discount on the purchase price of a brand new eligible plug-in vehicle.
- The electric car subsidy in the UK is applied at the time of purchase and is usually given as a discount off the purchase price of a vehicle.
- No formal date has yet been given for the end of the plug-in car grant in its current form.
The UK plug-in car grant is administered by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV). It is designed to encourage the uptake of electric vehicles in the UK by reducing the initial cost to drivers.
- It offers £1,500 off the price of eligible new electric cars.
- You can also get up to £500 off the price of eligible motorcycles, £150 off eligible mopeds, and up to £5,000 off eligible vans (£2,500 for small vans).
While electric vehicles are expensive, the Plug in grant represents a reasonable discount, and there are of course further cost-saving benefits once you’ve bought an electric car. VED (road tax) is free for drivers (from April 2020 onwards), and recharging costs considerably less than paying for petrol or diesel. You won’t have to pay to enter any low-emission zones like the Ultra Low Emission Zone in London for the foreseeable future either.
If you’re looking to buy an electric car or plug-in hybrid, then you’ll want to know if the car you’re buying is eligible for the PiCG, and our handy guide below will tell you exactly what kind of reduction you can expect.
First, you need to know if your car falls into one of the three categories of low emissions vehicle that the Government uses to determine if a vehicle qualifies for the PiCG as follows:
Category 1: Vehicles with a range of 70 miles making zero emissions, and a manufacturer quoted CO2 emissions figure of less than 50g/km.
Category 2: Vehicles with a range of at least 10 miles making zero emissions, and a manufacturer quoted CO2 emissions figure of less than 50g/km.
Category 3: Vehicles with a range of at least 20 miles making zero emissions, and a manufacturer quoted CO2 emissions figure of between 50-75g/km.
