Electric Car Grant ‘messy’ and ‘disappointing’
The Electric Car Grant lacks clarity and has led to prospective EV buyers delaying purchases rather than incentivising them.
That’s the view of Mike Thompson, chief operating officer at Leasing Options, who has labelled the roll-out messy and disappointing.
He has said that the Electric Car Grant, alongside a £400m investment in EV charging infrastructure, was a positive signal for the sector but confusion around eligible models has undermined the government’s good intentions.
To date 18 models have been approved for the lower £1,500 grant, but none has so far qualified for the full £3,750 discount.
Lack of clarity
Thompson said: “The rollout of the scheme so far has been messy, with a lack of clear eligibility criteria already causing many would-be EV owners to delay purchases in the hope of securing one of the higher grants.
“It’s disappointing that what should have been a beacon of positivity for making EV ownership more affordable has been undermined by the Government’s lack of organisation and clarity. The government has been drip-feeding eligible models, yet despite the fanfare, as of mid-August, not a single EV has qualified for the full £3,750 grant.”
Discounts
Discounts are determined by a model’s sustainability credentials while manufacturers must have also committed to the science-based target initiative (SBTi). This could rule out a number of popular Chinese brands.
Thompson said: “While the motivation to avoid sustainability concerns is understandable, this has only made a scheme that should have been simple unnecessarily complicated.
“With the September plate change approaching, traditionally one of the busiest periods of the year, clarity is urgently needed. We hope the government will complete the full rollout of the scheme by then. Without urgent action to simplify and clarify the details, there’s a real risk of undermining consumer confidence and stalling the momentum of EV adoption.”
