Hyundai’s Kona Electric has become the first model from the South Korean carmaker to qualify for the UK’s Electric Car Grant, unlocking a £1,500 discount and lowering its starting price to £33,500, according to industry reports.
The grant applies to all variants of the Kona Electric and places the compact SUV among the more competitively priced electric vehicles in its segment. Under the revised pricing, the Kona Electric Advance starts at £33,500, while the N Line version begins at £37,000. The higher-spec N Line S and Ultimate trims are now priced from £39,400.
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Until now, none of Hyundai’s electric vehicles were eligible for the UK Electric Car Grant, which applies to battery-electric vehicles priced below £42,000. The scheme is divided into two tiers, with Band 1 offering grants of up to £3,750 and Band 2 providing up to £1,500.
According to Auto Express, Hyundai models had previously been excluded from the scheme due to the absence of an officially recognised Science Based Target (SBT) for carbon emissions reduction aligned with the Paris Agreement.
In response to the lack of eligibility, Hyundai had introduced its own in-house incentive, the Hyundai Electric Grant, which offered discounts of £1,500 on the Kona, Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9, and £3,750 on the INSTER. It remains unclear whether this internal pricing support will continue for the Kona now that the model qualifies for the government-backed scheme.
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Auto Express said the Kona’s new eligibility suggests Hyundai may have introduced a science-based emissions reduction target covering the vehicle, although the company has not formally confirmed any change to its sustainability commitments.
The move marks a shift for Hyundai in the UK electric vehicle market, potentially improving the competitiveness of the Kona Electric as government incentives continue to play a role in consumer purchasing decisions.