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The Ford Puma Gen-E and e-Tourneo Courier have become the first models to receive the top £3750 discount from the government’s new Electric Car Grant scheme.

The pair are now priced at £26,245 and £28,440 respectively, and notably in the case of the Gen-E, its starting price has dipped £345 under its hybrid sibling.

Both cars have received the discount because they have met the government’s strict sustainability criteria, which covers both the manufacturing of the car and the marque as a whole.

While Westminster has still yet to reveal its benchmarks for the top banding, Ford told Autocar the emissions generated at its Craiova plant during battery production and vehicle assembly met the criteria. 

It also scored higher because the energy used there is completely renewable and it has set a goal of becoming fully carbon neutral by 2050, Ford said.

“We welcome the government’s decision to accelerate the transition to electric mobility and are proud that Ford’s commitment to sustainability has been recognised with the full EV grant,” said Lisa Brankin, Ford UK chair and managing director. She added it makes the switch to electric “simpler” and “more affordable”.

Alongside the Ford models, the Peugeot e-308, e-408, DS3 and DS No4 were all granted discounts of £1500 – the lower of the two bands. They join 22 other models that already received the same discount since the grant was launched in July.

The new discounts, especially the first from the top band, have been welcomed by industry heads, including AA president Edmund King. He said: “Drivers frequently tell us that the upfront costs of new EVs are a stumbling block to making the switch to electric. It is great to see some of these more substantial £3750 discounts coming on-line because for some drivers this might just bridge the financial gap to make these cars affordable. As more cars qualify for the biggest savings, more drivers will be tempted to go electric.”

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, added: “Our measures are driving competition in the UK EV market, boosting economic growth, and supporting jobs and skills as part of our Plan for Change.”

British engineering firm RML Group has revealed the first production version of the GT Hypercar, a dramatically overhauled Porsche 911 Turbo S inspired by Le Mans 24 Hours racers, at Salon Privé.

The new car, which draws inspiration from both the Porsche GT1 that won Le Mans in 1998 and modern Le Mans Hypercars, was developed under the RML P39 codename and was previously shown in prototype form. RML claims that in simulations the GT Hypercar is capable of lapping the Nürburgring Nordschleife in the low 6min 30sec range.

Compared with a 911 Turbo S, the GT Hypercar features a new carbonfibre body, an extended wheelbase and wider front and rear tracks. The road-legal car also gains bespoke active aerodynamics, a large front splitter and an adjustable rear spoiler.

The GT Hypercar will be limited to a production run of 39 units and the model shown at Salon Privé in Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, is one of 10 RML 40th Anniversary Special Editions. Those versions will be priced from £495,000 each, excluding VAT and the donor car.

How RML's new 900bhp monster is made

That means it featured bespoke interior details, along with the optional Performance Pack and Track Pack, which adds selectable ride height adjustment and a rear roll cage and removes the rear seats. Thanks to tuning work done in partnership with Litchfield Motors, power is also boosted from 900bhp in the ‘standard’ GT Hypercar to 907bhp, while the model also offers more than 738lb ft of torque.

The GT Hypercar shown at Salon Privé also features extensive bespoke styling elements, including a purple roof, a carbon tinted bonnet, gold wheels and hand-painted gold badging. As with the other 40th Anniversary Special Edition models, it sits on forged alloy wheels measuring 20in at the front and 21in at the rear.

The P39 development name reflects that the GT Hypercar is the 39th project car produced by RML Group since it was founded as a racing team in 1984 – although because many of those cars were produced for customers and are subject to confidentiality agreements, it is one of the first the firm has put its own name to.