The best cars eligible for the electric car grant

Best for: Performance driving
Price before ECG: £33,500
Price after ECG: £32,000

Is the hot hatchback back for the electric era? If the Alpine A290 is anything to go by, it could well be. 

The ride is quite remarkable for a sporty small car on passive suspension, particularly if you've experienced a Mini Cooper SE.

Matt Saunders, Road test editor

We liked this amped up version of the Renault 5 so much that we named it the Best Fun EV at the 2025 Autocar Awards, owing to its pure handling, entertaining drive and accessible powertrain. 

Speaking of which, there’s a choice of two gets a choice of two power outputs, 178bhp or 217bhp, and both are great fun on the road. There’s just one battery available, with a capacity of 52kWh for 226 miles of range. 

Best for: Desirability
Price before ECG: £35,690
Price after ECG: £34,190

Our best EV for last year is built on the same platform as the Volkswagen ID 3 found further down this list, but Cupra wraps that chassis in a bolder-looking design on the outside and packs it with a little more cabin richness inside.

The Born is a very appealing EV for the keen driver, and an easy car to recommend.

Matt Saunders, Road test editor

It features further up this list than its German cousin by being more desirable. People in the market for an EV want to be impressed by how a car looks, how it drives and how it makes them feel - and not just to be eligible for the ECG. 

Out on the road, the Born's modest footprint also contributes to the neatness and agility of its handling and the sweet spot it seems to occupy for performance and efficiency.

A near-even 200 horsepower, in the case of the cheapest model, is enough to make the Born seem fleet of foot – and yet not burn through the battery’s reserves at a rate that puts an easily achieved 200 miles of range beyond your reach.

Best for: Space
Price before ECG: £36,995
Price after ECG: £35,495

The transformation from an uninteresting MPV to a stylish SUV has been a successful one for the Renault Scenic. 

The accelerator pedal is responsive and the ramp-up of torque to the wheels is also well judged.

Richard Lane, Deputy road test editor

And now the ECG makes it one of the better value mid-sized electric SUVs out there. 

The sole powertrain option uses a 215bhp motor plus an 87kWh battery, which Renault claims is capable of 379 miles on a charge. 

The Scenic’s interior is a pleasant place to sit and includes plenty of storage areas, hidden or otherwise.

There’s good head and leg room for the driver and passengers alike and boot space is voluminous for a car of its size, at 545 litres. 

Best for: Daily driving
Price before ECG: £26,995
Price after ECG: £25,495

Some 30 years after it was removed from sale, the Renault 4 is back - but not quite how you remember it. 

Practicality is of course the area where this car offers notably more than its Renault 5 sibling.

Richard Lane, Deputy road test editor

It’s now a small electric crossover for the city – but it does feature several design characteristics that pay homage to the original car. Those include its circular headlights, one-piece grille and lensless tail-lights and rear window. 

It shares its chassis with the Renault 5, but its boxier silhouette means there’s more space in the second row, plus a bigger boot, at 375 litres compared with 326 litres. 

Its 52kWh battery gives a range of 247 miles. 

Best for: Interior quality
Price before ECG: £35,000
Price after ECG: £33,500

Nissan has made a huge change to the Ariya to make sure it qualifies for the government grant.

That it feels like a genuine premium prospect on the inside, with plenty of luxury car ambience, is an achievement for Nissan.

Sam Phillips, Staff Writer

It has slashed the SUV's price by more than £4000, meaning the entry-level model drops from £39,645 to £35,000, landing it below the £37,000 threshold.

Even the big-battery, long-range variant qualifies. An 87kWh battery gives it the ability to travel 330 miles before needing a charge. 

The Ariya’s interior is pleasant to sit in and crammed full of soft-touch, premium-feeling materials. Like the related Renault Scenic, it’s light and airy, while its infotainment is simple to use and crisp visually. 

Overall, it’s an easy car to live with, which is rightfully the most important thing to many drivers. 

Best for: Infotainment
Price before ECG: £32,495
Price after ECG: £30,995

Not another one?! Yes, the Megane is the fifth Renault in this top 10, due to its impressive all-around ability and a list price made even more attractive by the government grant. 

This is a likeable car that holds its own in the class.

Illya Verpraet, Road Tester

You get the same 215bhp electric motor as in the Scenic but with a smaller (60kWh) battery, producing a range of 285 miles.   

Renault updated the Megane in 2024, including adding a heat pump to improve efficiency and replacing its 9.0in infotainment display with a 12in one. All cars now get adaptive cruise control too. 

The Megane offers competitive performance for the price, hitting 0-62mph in 6.9sec, and it’s pretty handy when cornering. It won’t blow your socks off for dynamic engagement, but it’s a good all-rounder with a decent ride and outstanding noise suppression. 

Best for: An alternative choice
Price before ECG: £27,650
Price after ECG: £26,150

As far as value for money goes, you will be hard pressed to beat the Citroën ë-C4 - particularly after the government grant has been applied. 

The car has plenty of instant pick-up around town and as you accelerate up to the national speed limit.

Illya Verpraet, Road Tester

A facelift this year introduced Citroën’s modernised design language, but the ë-C4 remained the same beneath the metal. That means a choice of 50kWh and 54kWh batteries, with the larger one offering 260 miles of range. 

Drivers after a more practical car might opt for the saloon, but the hatchback still offers reasonable passenger space and a 380-litre boot. Either version is decently efficient too. 

Best for: Carrying cargo
Price before ECG: £35,955
Price after ECG: £34,455

The Grandland Electric shares its underpinnings with the Peugeot e-3008, pairing a 210bhp electric motor with a 73kWh battery. Range stands at 325 miles, while charging speeds are capped at 160kW. 

The base Design model gets two 10in screens, while higher-spec models get a 16in touchscreen.

James Attwood, Associate editor

A long-range version with a huge 98kWh battery will become available next year, but we would expect that to land just outside the threshold for the grant. Watch this space, though.

The Grandland isn’t the most exciting car to drive, but it offers good steering and refinement. Other rivals, the Ariya and Scenic included, are more comfortable, but it beats both for boot space, with 550 litres.