Labour's electric car grant sparks surge in sales across Suffolk - 'Embrace EV revolution'

The scale of the scheme became clear during a ministerial visit to an Ipswich Ford dealership, where staff said interest has surged since the discounts were introduced.

Keir Mather, the Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation, visited the showroom to see for himself how the Electric Car Grant is being used on the ground.

He spoke with customers who had already taken advantage of the offer and walked away with thousands of pounds off the price of their new electric models.

The grant forms part of a £650million Government programme launched in July. Since then, more than 30,000 people nationwide have signed up, with Suffolk emerging as one of the areas where uptake is growing fastest.

Some eligible car models have seen enquiries jump by over 100 per cent, showing that buyers who were previously put off by high upfront prices are now reconsidering.

Electric vehicles accounted for one in four new cars sold in the UK last month, suggesting that the incentives are have been having a real impact on the wider market.

The price gap between electric and petrol or diesel cars is also shrinking. According to industry figures, EVs are now around 13 per cent cheaper on average than they were a year ago, helped both by the grant and by manufacturers lowering prices.

Major brands such as Ford and Vauxhall have opted into the programme, adding further momentum.

During his visit, Mr Mather said the scheme is proving popular with ordinary motorists. "It was brilliant to be in Suffolk and meet drivers who have saved up to £3,750 when making the switch to electric thanks to our Electric Car Grant," he said. "It's cutting costs for families while boosting the UK's EV industry."

He also held talks with Ford UK's Managing Director, Lisa Brankin, about how the scheme is shaping the future of the car industry and helping British businesses.

Ms Brankin said she welcomed the chance to show the minister how customers are responding. She added that Ford is topping up the Government's offer with its own perks, including home charging wallboxes, longer warranties and free charging credits.

Alongside the grant, the Government has also begun pushing ahead with major upgrades to the UK's charging network.

The East of England has seen a 25 per cent increase in public charge points over the past year, with the region now hosting 6,400 chargers, including 1,278 new installations. Ipswich has gone one better, with a 34 per cent rise in charging facilities, giving local EV drivers far more places to plug in than before.

Mr Mather added: "Our support is expanding access to EV chargers across the region, with more than 1,200 public charge points added to local roads in the last year alone," he said. "It's great to see Suffolk embracing the EV revolution."

These improvements link to the Government's £381million Local EV Infrastructure Fund, which aims to deliver over 100,000 extra chargers nationwide.

Suffolk County Council has already secured £200,000 from a separate £25million pot to support new cross-pavement charging systems.

These allow residents without driveways to run a cable safely to their car, letting them benefit from cheaper home-energy rates rather than relying on public chargers.

The minister was shown one of these systems during a visit to the home of Ipswich resident John Taylor, who has installed a Government-backed "charge gully" outside his property.

"I've been an EV driver for nearly 10 years and was used to relying on workplace chargers or public ones in car parks and supermarkets," he said.