The Ford Puma Gen-E has become the first EV to qualify for the full £3,750 Electric Car Grant (ECG) – meaning the range now opens at just £26,245.
As such, the cheapest electric Puma Gen-E now costs less than the entry-level petrol-powered Ford Puma.
The Ford Puma has been the UK’s best-selling car for several years now – and it remains so in 2025. Scooping the full £3,750 ECG grant could therefore be very significant for thousands of British car buyers each month.
The practical Ford e-Tourneo Courier MPV also qualifies for the full £3,750 government grant. This takes its starting price down to less than £30,000.
The Peugeot e-308, Peugeot e-408, DS3 and DS No4 have been added to the ECG list, too. Each is offered with a £1,500 discount.
There are now a total of 28 electric cars that qualify for either a £1,500 or £3,750 ECG discount.
The government has pledged £650 million for the Electric Car Grant scheme, which was announced in July.
Ford Puma Gen-E ECG surprise
Many expected the Nissan Leaf to be the first vehicle to qualify for the full £3,750 Electric Car Grant. This is due to both the car and its batteries being built in Britain – easily meeting the sustainability criteria of the ECG.
However, the third-generation Nissan Leaf isn’t quite ready to hit showrooms, with its market launch expected in the autumn.
The Ford Puma Gen-E is not built in Britain, but in Romania. its batteries are assembled there too, using chemistry supplied from South Korea.
However, the Ford Puma Gen-E’s electric drive units are made in the UK, at the firm’s Halewood plant in Merseyside.
This combination of high-value UK components and European assembly has earned sufficient government ‘green points’ to clear the hurdle for the full £3,750 ECG.
As the Ford E-Tourneo Courier is also made in Romania, and uses Halewood electric drive units, it too benefits from the full government EV saving.
Driving interest in EVs
Cars that qualify for the Electric Car Grant are enjoying up to an 80 percent increase in interest from potential buyers, claims the Department for Transport.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said the government is “making it easier and cheaper for families to make the switch to electric, by delivering discounts of up to £3,750 on EVs”.
Ford UK chair and MD Lisa Brankin said the brand “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”.
Autotrader commercial director Ian Plummer noted the ECG has “prompted the highest uptick in consumer demand for EVs in three years on Autotrader, and interest in cars priced below £37,000 almost doubled.
“Half of consumers say price is the biggest barrier to going electric, so it’s fantastic to see the first tranche of models qualify for the full £3,750 grant.”
ALSO READ:
Arnold Clark opens new public EV charging network