Jeep has cut the price of the electric Avenger by £3750 following the introduction of the government’s Electric Car Grant (ECG), for which it has yet to qualify.

The discount has been applied to all trim levels of the EV, meaning its price now ranges from £26,249 for the entry-level Longitude model to £30,249 for a range-topping Summit.

Jeep will also make a £1500 deposit contribution toward financing on the Avenger Summit when a buyer chooses a 0% APR contract, which requires a 20% down payment. This results in a monthly payment of £270 for the model.

The discounts and finance contributions will be available until 30 September.

Jeep is the latest in a line of manufacturers who do not yet qualify for the ECG but have introduced their own discount. Chinese brand Leapmotor moved first, cutting prices by £3750 to match the maximum discount provided by the grant, and it was soon followed by Alfa Romeo, MG and GWM, among others.

The criteria for electric cars to receive the grant are based on minimum sustainability criteria, including the manufacturer being signed up to the Science-Based Targets initiative for carbon emissions reduction. For those that qualify, the grant provides either £3750 or £1500 based on the emissions created by the production of the car and its battery.

Only two models currently qualify for the full £3750 grant: the Ford Puma Gen-E and the related Ford E-Tourneo Courier. A further 26 cars receive a £1500 discount.

Several manufacturers that have yet to be included in the scheme have hit out against its perceived preferential treatment of European manufacturers. 

Stella Li, chief of the European arm of Chinese manufacturer BYD, recently told Autocar that it was “not fair to consumers” because of its effective exclusion of Chinese brands. 

“They did that more to target Chinese firms, which is not fair to consumers," she said. "But we have to deal with that. We are not afraid, because I'm sure our sales numbers will continue increasing every single month.”