New Sunderland-made Nissan LEAF qualifies for £3,750 discount under government’s EV grant in a boost for North East manufacturing
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-21)

There are now 39 models of electric vehicles eligible for the Electric Car Grant.

- drivers will be able to get £3,750 off the Nissan LEAF set to launch early next year as the government’s Electric Car Grant expands, making it the fourth manufacturer to offer the full discount
- the new LEAF will be built at Nissan’s Sunderland plant, helping to power up jobs and growth in the North East
- over 35,000 drivers have already used the grant to make the switch since it launched in July
- comes as electric vehicle ownership hits record levels accounting for 1 in 4 new car sales
Drivers are set to save £3,750 off the new Nissan LEAF as the government’s Electric Car Grant (ECG) list expands once again today (21 November 2025), putting thousands of pounds back in families’ pockets when they decide to make the switch.

Set to be built at Nissan’s Sunderland plant by its 6,000 strong workforce from next month, the LEAF qualifying for the grant will help boost sales for the manufacturer, supporting jobs and growth in the region and cementing the North East as one of the UK’s manufacturing strongholds.

The move brings the total number of eligible models under the ECG to 39, spanning the most popular automotive brands, including Ford, Citroën, Vauxhall and now Nissan and offering discounts of up to £3,750, available through dealerships.

See a list of cars eligible for the Electric Car Grant (https://www.gov.uk/plug-in-vehicle-grants/cars).

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:

Nissan helped pioneer early EV ownership through the original Leaf, so it is great to see them join our drive to make going electric cheaper and more accessible for families.

Alongside saving drivers thousands, this news is also a big boost for manufacturing in the North East – supporting thousands of jobs in the region whilst backing the industry to grow and deliver our Plan for Change.

James Taylor, Nissan GB Managing Director, said:

We’re absolutely delighted to be able to confirm LEAF’s pricing at £32,249 including the electric car grant, which will deliver an accessible route to EV ownership for our customers.

This is fantastic news for people looking to switch to fully electric motoring as they now have the reassurance that comes from a car with up to 386 miles of range, all the tech they could want and the real-world benefits that come from Nissan’s 15 years of EV expertise. Best of all, it’s proudly built right here in the UK!

The ECG was launched earlier this year (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/discount-of-up-to-3750-on-electric-cars-set-to-slash-costs-for-thousands) to put money back in people’s pockets and make it cheaper and easier to own an electric vehicle. The scheme is also backing the UK’s automotive industry, a key sector identified in the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy, which supports 133,000 jobs in the UK, and a further 320,000 jobs in the wider economy.

Applications are assessed against the scheme’s sustainability standards, ensuring only the cleanest cars are eligible.

The announcement comes as demand for EVs continues to surge, with sales accounting for a quarter of UK car purchases in October and enquiries for some eligible models up by 118% following their qualification for the scheme.

The government is also powering up charging infrastructure to support the EV revolution, with 100,000 chargepoints being rolled out across the UK, backed by the £381 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund. This drive is rapidly expanding the network to ensure drivers have reliable access to charging, with a new charger added to the network every 33 minutes.

This is on top of the almost 87,000 chargers (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/public-electric-vehicle-chargepoints-surge-23-in-just-one-year) already live across the country, with the fastest growth happening outside London in places like Yorkshire, Wales, the West Midlands and the East of England, and rural chargepoints in England up 26% overall on the year.

The government is also cutting red tape (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-looks-to-slash-red-tape-to-make-charging-electric-vehicles-at-home-easier) and investing £25 million (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-63-million-boost-for-britains-electric-vehicle-revolution) to make it easier for homeowners without driveways, renters and those living in flats to install home chargers, giving them access to cheaper electricity rates, meaning they could charge up for as little as 2p per mile.

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