Five more electric cars discounted in government push to move away from fossil fuels

The decision means 22 cars are eligible for the electric car grant, with prices reduced by up to £1,500.

Models from Volkswagen, Peugeot and Cupra have been added to the list.

It is part of a £650 million investment by ministers to get people to move away from petrol or diesel cars.

The new cars subject to the £1,500 discount are the Cupra Born, Volkswagen ID.3, Peugeot e-208, Peugeot e-2008 and Peugeot e-Rifter.

The cost represents a 4% discount on the Cupra. The carmaker's website is advertising the car for £37,460.

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The Volkswagen is being advertised for £30,860, and the Peugeot models range from £20,245 to about £35,000.

The number of electric cars registered in the first quarter of 2025 was 43% higher than the same period last year, according to figures published this week.

DVLA data showed more than 120,000 zero-emissions cars were registered between January and March this year.

Electric cars made up a fifth of registrations, up by 3% compared with the year before.

The Government said it is also investing in electric car charging infrastructure in an attempt to reduce carbon emissions.

But the attempts to move people away from petrol and diesel has been criticised by some who claim electric cars are also damaging to the environment because of the precious metals that need to be mined for batteries.

The announcement comes a week after the Government last broadened the initiative. Earlier in August it added 13 models, including cars produced by Nissan, Renault and Vauxhall.

At the time, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the Government was "delivering on our promise to make it easier and cheaper for families to go electric".

She added: "This is about backing drivers, putting money back into people's pockets and creating the jobs and growth that will drive Britain forward."

Under the Government's zero emission vehicle (Zev) mandate, at least 28% of new cars sold by each manufacturer in the UK this year must be zero emission, which generally means pure electric.

Across all manufacturers, the figure during the first half of the year was 21.6%.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced in April that sales of new hybrids that cannot be plugged in will be permitted to continue until 2035.

Changes to the Zev mandate also mean it will be easier for manufacturers who do not meet the targets to avoid fines.