The UK government has announced an incentive for electric vehicle owners. Known as the UK’s Plug-in Car Grant, this incentive brings a huge discount on the costs of buying your electric car in the UK.
How does the UK Government’s Plug-in Car Grant work?
The new electric and hybrid cars are eligible for a Plug-in car grant or PiCG. The government has put aside money for promoting the purchase of zero-emission vehicles by providing a cash incentive for the buyers to encourage them to switch to electric car and vans for the better.
This grant, as well as increased taxes on diesel-powered cars and vehicles, are aimed at helping the nation to cut down the CO2 emissions. The grant has made it easier for people to get their low-emission cars as it has aided 285,000 purchases so far.
How the PiCG works?
The government has created seven categories for the cars that are being sold. The cars are categorized depending on the amount of carbon dioxide they produce and the distance they can cover without emitting the CO2. Until 2018, the first three categories were deemed fit for the grant as they emitted less. However, the grant has excluded the hybrids from the support as they are no longer eligible, while the discount for category one has also come down from $4,500 to $2,500.
Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) administers this grant and decides which vehicle is eligible for the grant depending on the emissions as well as factors like top speed, warranting, as well as safety features.
The grant now covers up to 35% of the total purchase cost of your electric car, offering you a maximum of $2,500 for the cars costing less than $35,000. The eligibility criteria for an electric car is:
- CO2 emissions lesser than 50g/km
- Ability to go at least 70 miles without emitting CO2
- The car must be on the OLEV’s approved list.
What cars are eligible for PiCG?
If you are thinking about buying an electric car, then you must know about how to become eligible for the PiCG. Our brief guide below will help you in understanding it and knowing how much price reduction to expect. First, you must know about the categories to determine whether you qualify for the grant or not:
Category 1
Vehicles with manufacturer-quoted CO2 emissions lesser than 50g/km and a range of 70 miles with zero emissions.
Category 2
Vehicles with manufacturer-quoted CO2 emissions lesser than 50g/km and a range of 10 miles with zero emissions.
Category 3
Vehicles with manufacturer-quoted CO2 emissions lesser than 50 to 75 g/km and a range of 20 miles with zero emissions.
If your car qualifies for the first category and costs less than $35,000, then PiCG will benefit you by covering 35% of your car’s value and up to a maximum amount of $2,500.
The second and third categories were eligible for a 35% cost reduction if the price of the vehicle was below $60,000. However, after the reforms of 2018, the second and third categories are no longer eligible for PiCG.
Does your car qualify for PiCG?
You can log on to https://www.mottraningcourses.com to find out the list of the electric-only cars eligible for PiCG. Also, you can browse the various hybrid training courses to equip yourself before you get behind the wheel of an electric car. Moreover, the manufacturers may reduce the prices of their vehicles to qualify for this grant. So, it is important that you stay updated on the news front to benefit from this situation and buy your favourite car at reduced rates.
