Ford e-Tourneo Courier cheapest EV to insure under new grant, MoneySuperMarket finds
Insurance costs under the Electric Car Grant vary widely, with MPVs and larger electric vehicles often cheaper to insure than compact hatchbacks, according to a MoneySuperMarket ranking of 24 ECG-eligible models.
The Ford e-Tourneo Courier is the cheapest electric vehicle to insure under the government’s Electric Car Grant, according to MoneySuperMarket’s ranking of 24 ECG-eligible models. The five-seat van-derived family EV averages £309.62 a year to insure, and — with the ECG — can be bought from £29,940 OTR. The finding underscores a broader trend that the on-paper affordability of an electric car does not necessarily translate into low insurance costs.
MoneySuperMarket notes the ECG’s Band 1 and Band 2 discounts affect how much drivers pay to insure, and that the variation across the ECG-eligible fleet is wide. The average insurance cost for EVs in this group sits around £741 per year, but premiums can swing by more than £500 between models. The Peugeot e-Tourneo Courier’s position at the bottom of the price ladder is particularly notable given its practical, family-focused MPV format, which challenges the assumption that hatchbacks are always the least expensive to insure. The most expensive model in the ECG-eligible list is the Peugeot e-208 hatchback, which costs about £826.76 on average to insure, even though it is among the cheapest to buy under the grant at roughly £30,150 before grant relief.
The MoneySuperMarket rankings also show that other non-hatchback body styles—particularly vans and multipurpose vehicles (MPVs)—tend to carry insurance premiums well below many compact rivals. For example, the Vauxhall Mokka Electric, a small SUV, averages £418.93 to insure, eclipsed by larger MPVs and some family cars, while the Citroën Berlingo e-C4 and similar fleet-oriented models also sit under £500 on average.
Beyond the top tier, the list includes a mix of compact hatchbacks, SUVs and MPVs with insurance costs frequently exceeding £600. The Citroën e-C3, for instance, sits around £450 to insure, while the Citroën e-Berlingo and Renault Scenic e-Tech linger near the £480–£486 mark. The Renault Megane e-Tech and Skoda Enyaq, while more expensive to insure than the cheapest group, remain below £650 on average, illustrating how the ECG can tilt the economics in favor of larger, less theft-prone or lower-risk models. The Volkswagen ID.3, another compact city car, averages about £555 to insure, highlighting that even small EVs can carry significant premiums depending on model and trim.
The ranking also flags a recurring paradox: many affordable, family-friendly EVs are not the cheapest to insure. For example, the Peugeot e-208, despite its city-car practicality and relatively modest on-the-road price after ECG, carries an average insurance bill of about £827 a year, the highest among the ECG-eligible entries in MoneySuperMarket’s tally. In contrast, the Ford Puma Gen-E, which qualifies for the full Band 1 ECG discount and is priced from £26,245 after the grant, averages about £502.74 to insure, reinforcing that cost of ownership extends beyond the sticker price.
The ECG’s design to stimulate adoption by lowering upfront prices therefore interacts with ongoing running costs in nuanced ways. While some of the cheapest-insuring models are MPVs or small vans with generous space and practical families in mind, the discrepancy between upfront cost and insurance expense can be substantial. The Buy-Now, Pay-Later appeal of a low OTR price may be offset over time by higher annual insurance costs, and in some cases, a more expensive-looking model could deliver lower running costs once ECG discounts and insurance premiums are considered.
The MoneySuperMarket analysis also underscores the importance of comparing total cost of ownership when evaluating ECG-eligible EVs. Prospective buyers should consider not just the grant and monthly charging costs, but also the annual insurance bill, which can swing by hundreds of pounds across the ECG-eligible lineup. For families and fleet buyers, the insurance differential between MPVs and hatchbacks could translate into meaningful differences in annual outlays, particularly for models with higher theft risk or more expensive spare parts.
As policymakers and consumers navigate the transition to electric mobility, the study’s takeaway is clear: the cheapest car to insure under the grant may surprise buyers, and long-term running costs—driven by insurance and maintenance—can influence the overall value of an ECG-eligible EV as much as the headline price. With insurers continuing to refine risk profiles for increasingly diverse EV fleets, buyers should use independent cost analyses like MoneySuperMarket’s to inform their choices and ensure that the grant’s savings are complemented by affordable ongoing costs.
