Drivers in the UK can save £1,5000 on new electric vehicles, with the first eligible models confirmed as the UK government makes owning an EV cheaper and easier for thousands of people.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has confirmed that buyers can enjoy discounts of £1,500 off four Citroën models – the Citroën ë-C3, ë–C4, ë-C5 and the ë-Berlingo – from today. The discount will be automatically applied in the purchase of the vehicle and customers do not need to complete any paperwork.

The cheapest of these models, the ë-C3, costs around £22,500, according to AutoCar, while the ë-C5 Aircross costs about £32,500.

The four models are the first to be approved for the discounts under the government’s new £650 million Electric Car Grant (ECG) scheme – which will continue to knock money off the price of new electric cars as more models are approved in the coming days and weeks.

The ECG offers carmakers the chance to apply discounts at the point of sale for new eligible EVs which are measured against the highest manufacturing sustainability standards.

The approval of the first 4 models come as over 17,300 public chargepoints have been added to the UK network since July 2024 – a 27% increase on the year.

More than 82,000 public chargepoints are now available, with one chargepoint added every half an hour, and over 100,000 on the way in the coming years.

“With the first four models approved today and more to come over the next few weeks, this summer we’re making owning an electric car cheaper, easier and a reality for thousands more people across the UK,” transport secretary Heidi Alexander

“Once again we’re delivering our Plan for Change by standing firmly on the side of motorists and manufacturers, driving down costs for consumers, supporting jobs and putting money back in people’s pockets.”

With many drivers citing upfront costs as a key barrier to buying an EV, the discounts will bring down the price of electric cars to more closely match their petrol and diesel counterparts. Drivers can also save up to £1,500 a year in fuel and running costs when switching to an EV.

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The move follows the department’s £63 million package to boost charging infrastructure across the UK, including by making it easier to charge at home for people without a driveway. This will help drivers charge on their home electricity rates and run their EV for as little as 2p a mile – that’s London to Birmingham for £2.50.

The new Electric Car Grant, which opened to applications from manufacturers last month with discounts of up to £3,750 available, is the latest in a series of moves showing the government is on the side of British drivers. The grant follows a record £1.6 billion invested to tackle potholes and fuel duty frozen at 5p until spring 2026, saving the average motorist on average £59 a year.

“We welcome the support of the Electric Car Grant and are delighted to be the first to have our electric range, including the New ë-C3, New ë-C4, New ë -C5 Aircross and ë-Berlingo, approved and eligible,” Greg Taylor, managing director, Citroën UK.

“At Citroën we want everyone to have the opportunity to make the switch to an electric car and this support will help make our cars more accessible for our customers.”

The government is working closely with the industry to make the discounts available to drivers quickly, with new guidance published by the Department for Transport to help manufacturers apply as easily as possible.

In total, the government is investing £4.5 billion to turbocharge the switch to EVs, securing the UK’s position as a world-leader in electric vehicle adoption – with Britain the largest EV market in Europe in 2024 and sales up a fifth on the previous year – while helping put more money in people’s pockets.

This latest move comes alongside the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate, which requires manufacturers to sell increasing percentages of zero emission vehicles each year.

Recent changes to the mandate give industry the certainty, stability and support they’ve been asking for, alongside crucial trade deals with the US, India and the European Union to support the UK’s automotive sector and protect jobs following the recent global economic headwinds.