Blue Badge holders warned over new rule change starting next week

More than 11,000 blue badge holders could lose out on £3,750 assistance because of strict affordability requirements in the government's fresh Electric Car Grant portal, which is due to go live on August 11.

Matt Fieldhouse, group managing director and car expert at Mobility in Motion, has cautioned that only 20 of the leading 40 most accessible and budget-friendly EVs on the Motability Scheme satisfy the grant's £37k price ceiling. This means half of the most suitable models are ruled out.

Matt has revealed the top qualifying EVs for 2025 and shared crucial advice for disabled motorists. It comes after news that anyone buying fuel next week could be given a '£15 charge' warning by The AA.

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On the upcoming change, Matt shared: "The UK Government's new Electric Car Grant (ECG), which launched this month, aims to make electric vehicles more affordable by offering up to £3,750 off new EVs under £37,000. However, the policy overlooks the needs of thousands of disabled drivers who access vehicles through the Motability Scheme.

"In the first half of 2025 alone, around 225,000 new EVs were registered in the UK - and if we apply the current Blue Badge holder rate (4.9% of the UK population), that suggests around 11,025 disabled drivers are expected to purchase an EV car between now and December".

He continued: "New research by Mobility in Motion shows that just 20 of the 40 most accessible and affordable EVs available through the Motability Scheme meet the government's price threshold for the new ECG grant, meaning half of the most practical and accessible EVs are already ruled out. To make the transition to electric vehicles truly inclusive, the latest policy must consider additional support for disabled motorists.

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"This includes raising the price cap for EVs under the Motability Scheme, recognising the additional costs of adapting your vehicle, and ensuring that grant eligibility reflects the real-world needs of disabled drivers - not just headline affordability."

When the Electric Car Grant was announced, Lilian Greenwood MP hinted that Chinese manufacturers could be excluded from the scheme because many factories rely on coal power, which would clash with Labour's green agenda, reports Yorkshire Live.

The Future of Roads Minister from the Labour government stated: "Frankly, if you generate a lot of the electricity that powers your factory through coal power stations, then you are not going to be able to access this grant."

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