The electric Ford Puma Gen-E has been revealed as the first new EV to qualify for the Government’s full Electric Car Grant. That means it’s the only car on sale to officially qualify for a £3,750 discount under the scheme.
Now starting from just £26,245, the Ford Puma EV becomes the cheapest electric SUV you can buy on the Auto Express Buy A Car service and It’s all thanks to the fact that its powertrain is built in the UK.
To qualify for the Electric Car Grant (ECG), each model must hit certain sustainability criteria, with only the greenest cars being rated in Band 1 and getting the full grant amount. As was suspected when the grant was first announced, cars that have their powertrains manufactured in the UK or are completely built here appear to be deemed more environmentally friendly than those from the EU or further afield.
One example of this is the Renault 5 which, despite being produced in its entirety in France utilising clean energy sources, still falls into Band 2 and thus only receives a £1,500 EV Grant price cut.
While the government says it “do[es] not comment on individual manufacturer applications”, the theory of preferential treatment for British-built EVs is also backed up by the fact that Nissan has officially stated that it fully expects the forthcoming Nissan Leaf SUV to get the full grant. The new Leaf is expected to go into production at the firm’s Sunderland factory later this year.
As well as the EV Grant, the Puma Gen-E also benefits from Ford’s Power Promise offer, which includes free servicing, plus a home EV charger and electricity credit. Ford UK’s managing director, Lisa Brankin said: “We welcome the government’s decision to accelerate the transition to electric mobility and are proud that Ford’s commitment to sustainability has been recognised with the full EV grant”.
The Puma isn’t alone in receiving the top-level grant, as the Ford E-Tourneo Courier, which shares the Puma’s Merseyside-built electric drive unit, also now benefits from a £3,750 discount, bringing its entry price down to £29,940.
It’s not just Ford models receiving government-backed discounts, either, as the Department for Transport has also announced the newly-facelifted Peugeot E-308 and larger E-408 are also set to join the ranks of cars getting the base £1,500 grant. The same goes for both the DS 3 and DS No4 which both sit on the same E-CMP underpinnings as the two Peugeots.
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