Consumer interest in EVs surges following launch of Government Electric Car Grant
LONDON, 13 October: The UK public has viewed electric vehicle (EV) adverts 4.5 million times since the Government launched its £3,750 Electric Car Grant three months ago – marking the biggest surge of interest in greener vehicles since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 sent energy prices soaring.
The figures from Autotrader, the UK’s largest automotive marketplace, represent a rise of 20% or 750,000 views compared to the previous quarter – and shows consumer interest in cars eligible for the grants more than doubling, up 118%1. In the same time period, views for petrol cars increased by just 2% to almost 6.5 million.
Overall enquiries for new EVs are up 44% in the three months since the ECG grants of up to £3,750 were introduced1. Even non-eligible models have seen a 24% rise1 in interest from would-be buyers as many manufacturers introduced their own grant-style discounts independently of the official ECG scheme, Autotrader’s figures show.
Advert views on new EV models with an advertised price below £30k increased by more than a quarter (27%), from 850k to just under 1.1 million. The most popular ECG eligible model on Autotrader was the Renault 5 E-tech with almost 175,000 advert views since the Grant launched.
Top 10 most viewed eligible models
The figures come after the strongest September for new car sales for five years (up 14% y-o-y) while used EVs are the fastest selling fuel type for the third month in a row, leaving the forecourts in 27 days on average, compared to 28 days for petrol models and 31 for diesels.
The top 10 most enquired upon EV models on Autotrader are now dominated by grant eligible cars, with models entering top 10 for the first time such as the Ford Puma Gen-E, Skoda Elroq and Cupra Born. The Ford Puma – eligible for the full £3,750 grant - has seen the biggest jump, rising from just 0.2% to a 5.2% share of all new EV enquiries between July and October1. Advert views for the Ford Puma also more than doubled in the same time period with almost 60,000 views.
Since its introduction, 28 electric vehicles have become eligible for the ECG scheme, with more than 20 brands launching their own equivalent offers. The upfront price gap between EVs and petrol models has narrowed significantly to just 19%, down from 34% in 2023.
Meanwhile the number of new EV models advertised for under £30,000 on Autotrader has risen from 47 to 58, while models above £40,000 have shrunk from 59 to 53. Average discounts on new EVs have also deepened to 13.5% for models under £37,000 and 11.2% for those above as manufacturers offered their own discounts to compete with models eligible for the grant.
The ECG accelerates the shift in a fast-evolving automotive landscape, with 72 car brands now active in the UK, up from 48 in 2019, improving choice for consumers. Autotrader’s data shows four of the 10 most-considered models are from Chinese manufacturers, reflecting growing diversity and affordability in the EV space. Land Rover led the brand rankings in September, while JAECOO climbed seven places to sixth following a marketing push.
According to the data, electrified vehicles now account for over half (50.8%) of all new car registrations. Autotrader forecasts suggest EVs under ten years old will exceed petrol cars on UK roads by 2030 and will account for 41% of all UK cars by 2035 (14 million) – up from 1 in 20 currently.
The Electric Car Grant has clearly fired the imagination of consumers as we can see from the big jump in traffic on our marketplace for eligible models – particularly at the affordable end of the spectrum. Potential switchers have already seen a big rise in choice since 2019 but the grant is helping to close the affordability gap and sparking greater competition across the market, making electric driving a realistic option for far more people. There is clear momentum toward electrification, not just in sales, but in the breadth of choice and innovation across brands and price points.
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