Vauxhall announced that it has revised prices on its new Mocha-e and Vivaro-e to below £ 35,000 to ensure new buyers continue to benefit from the discount. The Mokka-e SE Premium model is now £ 33,000, the Mokka-e Launch Edition just under £ 35,000.
The Vivaro-e has had list prices realigned by more than £ 2,000, with prices starting at £ 34,995.
Vauxhall has confirmed that the new prices will take effect immediately to ensure that road users are not affected by the changes in new car subsidies.
Paul Wilcox, CEO of Vaxchall, said their cars will continue to be available to “the greatest number of people”.
He said: “At Vauxhall, we believe in making our vehicles as accessible as possible to most people, especially when it comes to zero-emission driving. I am therefore pleased that all Corsa confirm -e, all Mokka-e and the new Vivaro-e Life Combi are entitled to the state plug-in car subsidy. “
READ MORE: Electric Car Grant Updates Are “Extremely Concerning” for Drivers
Citroen cut the cost of its brand new electric e-C4 by £ 550 to ensure it stays below the £ 35,000 threshold.
The move was previously priced at £ 35,495 but will now be available for just £ 34,995 to ensure new buyers can still enjoy a discount.
Eurig Druce, CEO of Citroen UK, said the company was “disappointed” with the news and is calling for “long-term support”.
Mr Druce said, “We were disappointed to hear the news that support to consumers in moving to a low-emission vehicle has been reduced.
“In order for this transition to be successful and to meet the electrification goals, both industry and consumers need clearer long-term guidance and support on how to get there.
Department of Transportation experts claim the new changes will ensure funding lasts longer and is available to more drivers.
According to DfT, the number of electric car models priced below £ 35,000 has increased nearly 50 percent since 2019, with half of the models in the market still eligible for the program.
The government said it has allocated nearly £ 1.3 billion to automobiles since the program started in 2011.
It is claimed that more than 285,000 vehicles have been purchased at discounts in the past decade.
DfT spokeswoman Rachel Maclean said: “We want as many people as possible to be able to switch to electric vehicles in order to reduce our carbon emissions, meet our net zero ambitions and move forward across the UK.
“The increasing choice of new vehicles, growing customer demand and the rapidly increasing number of charging stations mean that given the increasing demand, we are concentrating our vehicle grants on the cheaper zero-emission vehicles, even though the financing level is still high – where most consumers are and where taxpayers money makes a bigger difference.
“We will continue to review the grant as the market grows.”
