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New nissan leaf – The latest version of the ground-breaking original electric car – has been confirmed as eligible for the Government’s Electric Car Grant, giving drivers a rebate of up to £3,750, bringing the price down to £32,249. The move also represents a timely boost to manufacturing in the country North eastWhere the Leaf will be manufactured Nissan‘S Sunderland plant.
The decision comes as the government has expanded its Electric Car Grant (ECG) list, with the updated scheme now live. Ford (with the Puma Gen-E and e-Tourneo Courier) and Citroën (with the e-C5 Aircross Long Range) were the first recipients of the full band one rebate of £3,750, with 35 other EVs that did not meet the government’s full green criteria getting a £1,500 rebate in band two of the grant.
However, when announcing this latest model to receive the Band One grant, the DfT also said that Vauxhall was also in a position to have a model that would receive the full £3,750 rebate – although there is no news on Vauxhall or the government’s ECG website about which model. It is expected to be a long range version of the Vauxhall Grandland with the same large 97kWh battery as the Citroen e-C5 Aircross Long Range.
The DfT says more than 35,000 drivers have used the updated grant to buy a new EV since its relaunch in July. The government expects sales of eligible models to increase by 118 percent, reflecting strong demand since the discount began.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Nissan helped pioneer early EV ownership through the original Leaf, so it’s great to see them joining our campaign to make electricity cheaper and more accessible for families.
“As well as saving thousands of drivers, this news is also a huge boost for manufacturing in the North East – helping the industry deliver on our plan for growth and transformation while supporting thousands of jobs in the region.”
James Taylor, Managing Director of Nissan GB, said: “We are delighted to confirm the Leaf is priced at £32,249 including the Electric Car Grant, which will provide an accessible route to EV ownership for our customers. This is fantastic news for those who want to make the switch to fully electric motoring. Best of all, it is proudly made right here in the UK!”
The extended grants are part of a wider plan to strengthen the UK’s EV ecosystem, with the government pointing to £381m of funding through its Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) programme. That investment is now spreading across the country, with rapid growth expected outside London – particularly in areas such as Yorkshire, Wales, the West Midlands and the East of England, where chargepoint numbers have increased strongly this year.
The Department for Transport also highlighted progress on home charging, confirming it is cutting red tape to make it easier to install chargers in properties without driveways or where renters have previously faced barriers. The extra £25m will make installation simpler and cheaper, helping more families charge at home, where costs could be as low as 2p per mile.
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The new Leaf’s inclusion on the subsidized EV list is especially significant given the model’s history. Nissan’s first-generation Leaf was one of the earliest mass-market EVs, built in the UK and shipped globally for more than a decade. With a refreshed model due next year – featuring a range of up to 386 miles, advanced technology derived from Nissan’s 15 years of EV experience and the support of a major manufacturing hub – ministers clearly believe the car can once again help drive mainstream EV adoption.
The government says ECG’s latest update “comes as demand for EVs continues to surge”, noting that October saw an increase of nearly 30 per cent in electric car market share compared to the same month last year.