Extension means buyers can still save on electric cars
NEWS
ALTHOUGH THE GOVERNMENT axed the plug-in car grant from 14 June 2021, it has now extended the delivery period for eligible new cars from 12 to 18 months, so that buyers facing lengthy waits for their new cars won’t miss out on the discount.
Anyone who ordered a new electric vehicle (EV) before the cut-off date, and is still waiting to take delivery of it, now has until 31 March 2023 to get the car and the £1500 discount.
The decision, announced by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, takes into account new car supply difficulties that were causing many buyers’ EV grant applications to lapse before they could receive their new car. Prior to the extension, only cars delivered by June 2022 were eligible for the saving.
The move was welcomed by the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers in the UK. Chief executive Sue Robinson said: “Franchised dealers are still battling long lead times for their orders, so the delivery extension is positive, because it provides a safety net for customers to receive their electric vehicle with the grant they’d have got when they placed their order.”
The grant – designed to encourage buyers to switch to EVs – was reduced several times over the years, before the Government decided to axe it entirely. For example, in December 2021 it dropped from £2500 to £1500.
