The all-new Nissan Leaf will qualify for the Government’s £3,750 Electric Car Grant (ECG) when production begins at Sunderland next month, lowering the entry price to £32,249 and expanding the number of eligible EVs on the scheme to 39 models. The decision offers a lift for UK manufacturing and gives buyers, leasing customers and salary sacrifice drivers a more affordable long-range EV option.
Nissan will build the new Leaf at its Sunderland plant as part of its EV36Zero project, which combines vehicle production with battery manufacturing and renewable energy. The facility employs around 7,000 people and produces the Qashqai and Juke alongside the new electric Leaf. The original Leaf helped establish early EV adoption in the UK, and more than 700,000 examples have now been sold globally since its launch.
The new UK-built Leaf uses a 75kWh usable battery and delivers up to 386 miles WLTP on a single charge. At motorway speeds, Nissan quotes 269 miles at a steady 70mph, giving stronger long-distance capability than many similarly priced rivals. The Leaf supports 150kW DC rapid charging, enabling a 20–80 percent top-up in under 30 minutes. Power comes from a 215hp motor producing 355Nm of torque, giving a 0–62mph time of 7.6 seconds.
Four trim levels will be available from launch, all priced with the grant already applied:
- Engage – £32,249
- Engage+ – £33,149
- Advance – £34,249
- Evolve – £36,249
Standard equipment includes Google Built-In, a new dimming panoramic roof, advanced driver-assistance systems and a large central infotainment display. The design has been reworked around aerodynamics, giving the new Leaf a drag coefficient of 0.25, which helps extend its range at higher speeds.
Government ministers called the Leaf’s inclusion a boost for families looking to enter EV ownership at a lower cost, while also supporting jobs and investment in the North East. The ECG applies automatically at the point of order and is part of a wider strategy to accelerate EV adoption. Demand for electric vehicles is rising quickly, with EVs making up a quarter of UK registrations in October and enquiries for eligible models increasing sharply as more cars join the scheme.
Alongside the grant, the Government continues to expand the UK’s charging network. More than 87,000 public chargers are now live nationwide, with 100,000 more being delivered through the £381 million LEVI fund. A charger is being added to the public network every thirty-three minutes. Further support is also being directed at renters and flat-owners, with £25 million allocated to make it easier to install home chargers, enabling off-peak home charging costs as low as 2p per mile.
With Nissan now added, here is the full list of EVs eligible for the Electric Car Grant.
Band 1 – £3,750 discount
- Citroën ë-C5 Aircross Long Range
- Ford E-Tourneo Courier
- Ford Puma Gen-E
- Nissan Leaf
Band 2 – £1,500 discount
- Citroën ë-C3
- Citroën ë-C3 Aircross
- Citroën ë-C3 Urban Range
- Citroën ë-C4
- Citroën ë-C4 X
- Citroën ë-C5 Aircross
- Citroën ë-Berlingo
- Citroën ë-SpaceTourer
- Cupra Born
- DS DS3
- DS N°4
- MINI Countryman Electric
- Nissan Ariya
- Nissan Micra
- Peugeot E-208
- Peugeot E-2008
- Peugeot E-308
- Peugeot E-408
- Peugeot E-Rifter
- Peugeot E-Traveller
- Renault 4
- Renault 5
- Renault Alpine A290
- Renault Megane
- Renault Scenic
- Skoda Elroq
- Skoda Enyaq
- Toyota Proace City Verso
- Vauxhall Astra Electric
- Vauxhall Combo Life Electric
- Vauxhall Corsa Electric
- Vauxhall Frontera Electric
- Vauxhall Grandland Electric
- Vauxhall Mokka Electric
- Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric
- Volkswagen ID.3
- Volkswagen ID.4
- Volkswagen ID.5
The addition of the Sunderland-built Leaf strengthens the ECG’s offering at the affordable end of the EV market and extends the scheme’s reach as more models are assessed and added. It also marks an important moment for UK EV manufacturing as demand continues to grow across business and retail sectors.
