Plug-in grant scheme changes: what it means for you
From 1 March 2016, the UK’s plug-in grant has a new structure that will affect everyone buying a new hybrid or electric car...
The government has pledged to continue its plug-in grant scheme until at least March 2018, but it has been restructured as of today. Here’s everything you need to know.
What’s different?
Until now, anyone buying a new zero-emissions car was eligible for a government grant of £5000 off its list price. From today, plug-in cars have been split into two categories, each getting a different level of discount.
Category 1 cars emit less than 50g/km of CO2 and have a zero emission (pure electric) range of more than 70 miles. These cars qualify for a £4500 grant.
Category 2 cars emit less than 50g/km of CO2 and have an electric-only range of 10 to 69 miles. Buyers of Category 2 cars, which are mostly plug-in hybrids, will get £2500 off the list price.
Do the grants apply to all electric and hybrid cars?
No, Category 2 cars with a new list price of £60,000 or more are not eligible for any grant.
The government has also added a third category – Category 3 – to the revised plug-in scheme. It is for all cars that emit between 50g/km and 70g/km of CO2 and have a zero emission range of at least 20 miles. However, only the Mercedes-Benz S500 Hybrid and Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid fall into this category, and neither is eligible for the grant because their list price is more than £60,000.
Which cars fall into Category 1 and 2?
Category 1 cars are fully electric, so cars like the BMW i3, Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S. They qualify for a £4500 discount.
Category 2 cars are typically hybrids, like the Toyota Prius and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, both of which get a £2500 discount.
What about the home charging point grant?
The government has continued its pledge to support these by offering £500 to help with the cost of installing a charging socket at home, which equates to around half the usual bill.
Best small electric cars 2024 - the top 10, plus one to avoid
Think going electric has to be expensive? Well, the best small EVs prove otherwise, but which models are we talking about, and which one should you avoid at all costs?
