Plug-in car Grant now £3000 (was £3500) for cars under £50k

[TRG103]

This would be very annoying. An extra £75 or so a month on my PCP agreement if the discount isn't honoured, which isn't a deal-breaker for me but would be a massive kick in the teeth.

 

[ElViajero]

To add further confusion to the mix I replied to the tweet put out by the Government's OLEV office referencing this announcement, the person who manages their account claims that this change "relates to orders not deliveries".

Clear as mud, either way Elon now has at least two tweets referencing this in his timeline.

As someone with a confirmed collection date but no reg no. or invoice, a glimmer of hope I’m clinging onto is that the portal user guide for dealers suggests that an order is put on the portal at the “order” stage, sort of as a placeholder until VIN/reg are known. They can’t claim the grant until everything is known but it’s the initial creation on the portal that counts for date purposes, according to that.

Still nervous because that doesn’t answer the question of when Tesla as part of their sales flow put orders on the grant portal... but I’ll hang on to that and the VED thing as positives for now.

Reference: flowchart p11 And other bits of https://assets.publishing.service.g...a/file/768517/plug-in-portal-dft-guidance.pdf

 

[ElViajero]

Not quite sure this is correct - the guidance (https://assets.publishing.service.g...a/file/768517/plug-in-portal-dft-guidance.pdf) states that the grant can be applied for as soon as the contract is signed by the customer (Section 3.9) and will be honoured at the level as at the times of ordering provided that the vehicle is registered within 9 months (Section 3.10). The process flow overview (page 11) shows that the application process can be started immediately, with VIN and registration details being added as they become available.

On my reading, as long as the grant has been applied for before 11.59 tonight, it will be honoured. The question is whether it is Tesla’s practice to apply as soon as they are able to.

Not quite sure this is correct - the guidance (https://assets.publishing.service.g...a/file/768517/plug-in-portal-dft-guidance.pdf) states that the grant can be applied for as soon as the contract is signed by the customer (Section 3.9) and will be honoured at the level as at the times of ordering provided that the vehicle is registered within 9 months (Section 3.10). The process flow overview (page 11) shows that the application process can be started immediately, with VIN and registration details being added as they become available.

On my reading, as long as the grant has been applied for before 11.59 tonight, it will be honoured. The question is whether it is Tesla’s practice to apply as soon as they are able to.

Ah well, my first post and I was beaten to it by 1 minute. Pleased that it’s a similar interpretation and that there is a possibility it’s OK.

 

[Plagued]

Would it really impact PCP that much. A lot of PCP and lease deals I've looked over don't increase that much as the value of the car increases as the residual value increases. If the car increases in value by 3500 then it's second hand value presumably also increases.

 

[Masklin]

.

On my reading, as long as the grant has been applied for before 11.59 tonight, it will be honoured. The question is whether it is Tesla’s practice to apply as soon as they are able to.

Fingers crossed, I’ll probably find out in the next week or so...

 

[theweakestlink]

Not quite sure this is correct - the guidance (https://assets.publishing.service.g...a/file/768517/plug-in-portal-dft-guidance.pdf) states that the grant can be applied for as soon as the contract is signed by the customer (Section 3.9) and will be honoured at the level as at the time of ordering provided that the vehicle is registered within 9 months (Section 3.10). The process flow overview (page 11) shows that the application process can be started immediately, with VIN and registration details being added as they become available.

On my reading, as long as the grant has been applied for before 11.59 tonight, it will be honoured. The question is whether it is Tesla’s practice to apply as soon as they are able to.

I think this is a good find. I reckon Tesla will have raised the OLEV start of claim soon after order (or they should have) so I think this, in the eyes of OLEV, will be registration in the portal. Do you not think?

 

[Bobly]

Like several others I'm waiting on a M3P. Being asked to pay another £3,500 at the eleventh hour may be a deal breaker. A psychological hammer blow.
I need to know what "for orders placed on the portal" in the budget wording means. I know others have mentioned the PICG can only be formally applied for when the car is finally registered. The wording using "orders placed" gives me a straw to cling to that there is maybe a system in place on the portal to place reservations for the grant in advance of the later delivery and registration. Does anyone have motor industry knowledged of the "portal"?

As you've saving around £1500 in "Luxury" car tax, so in real terms i think it's more like £2k (assuming you plan on keeping it 5 years).

 

[Durzel]

Just spoke to Tesla on the phone, my car was registered on the Govt portal when I completed the online documents, so I'm under the wire. Massively relieved.

I presume anyone else ordering direct (and hopefully everyone on a lease if the lease company is on the ball) would be in the same boat.

 

[MrBadger]

tl;dr orders placed on the portal after 11:59 tonight? When is an 'order placed on the portal'? When its registered or prior to that?

 

[Roy W.]

If they do that they will have to discount the performance by £5500 to get it under the £50k threshold!
Can’t see them doing that but time will tell I suppose. It going to cause utter chaos to thousands of orders

I really feel sorry for those whose delivery is only a few days away. Trust the government to introduce mass confusion at a stroke.

A right mucking fuddle.

 

[ElViajero]

I think this is a good find. I reckon Tesla will have raised the OLEV start of claim soon after order (or they should have) so I think this, in the eyes of OLEV, will be registration in the portal. Do you not think?

It would make very good sense for them to do that, to “bank” the ability to get the grant and avoid cancellations because of any potential removal of it. Fingers crossed!

 

[Durzel]

Tesla have to place their order (to receive PICG) on the Government portal by 11:59 tonight. From speaking to a guy from Tesla just now, this is based on when you (or a lease company) complete the documents they request.

He was explicit to me that my car had been registered already on the portal, I don't know how that is possible without having a registration but I'm not going to argue and just cross my fingers that it is actually true.

 

[TheManofMead]

Not quite sure this is correct - the guidance (https://assets.publishing.service.g...a/file/768517/plug-in-portal-dft-guidance.pdf) states that the grant can be applied for as soon as the contract is signed by the customer (Section 3.9) and will be honoured at the level as at the time of ordering provided that the vehicle is registered within 9 months (Section 3.10). The process flow overview (page 11) shows that the application process can be started immediately, with VIN and registration details being added as they become available.

On my reading, as long as the grant has been applied for before 11.59 tonight, it will be honoured. The question is whether it is Tesla’s practice to apply as soon as they are able to.

Praise the lord for Sections 2.6, 3.9 and 3.10. Aaaaand Relax. Fackson, many thanks for the link. Much appreciated.

 

[Masklin]

I’ve just had this reply from the OLEVGov twitter account..

.

 

[TheManofMead]

Tesla have to place their order (to receive PICG) on the Government portal by 11:59 tonight. From speaking to a guy from Tesla just now, this is based on when you (or a lease company) complete the documents they request.

He was explicit to me that my car had been registered already on the portal, I don't know how that is possible without having a registration but I'm not going to argue and just cross my fingers that it is actually true.

They register the order. They appear to have 9 months to actually register a plate with DVLA after the order.

 

[Mrklaw]

I hope Tesla adjust UK prices accordingly. Need to be £49,999 for the LR (its already arguably overpriced). Cut spec like connectivity or something to be post-paid upgrade to get the cost down.

SR+ £500 price increase and £500 PIG decrease is a net increase in cost of £1000. Slight upside if you factor in luxury vehicle tax but really dilutes that. Almost flat vs ordering a couple of months ago

 

[Durzel]

Not quite sure this is correct - the guidance (https://assets.publishing.service.g...a/file/768517/plug-in-portal-dft-guidance.pdf) states that the grant can be applied for as soon as the contract is signed by the customer (Section 3.9) and will be honoured at the level as at the time of ordering provided that the vehicle is registered within 9 months (Section 3.10). The process flow overview (page 11) shows that the application process can be started immediately, with VIN and registration details being added as they become available.

On my reading, as long as the grant has been applied for before 11.59 tonight, it will be honoured. The question is whether it is Tesla’s practice to apply as soon as they are able to.

I love you, in a manly way.

 

[theweakestlink]

Just spoke to Tesla on the phone, my car was registered on the Govt portal when I completed the online documents, so I'm under the wire. Massively relieved.

I presume anyone else ordering direct (and hopefully everyone on a lease if the lease company is on the ball) would be in the same boat.

Who did you manage to speak to at this time?

 

[Mrklaw]

Would it really impact PCP that much. A lot of PCP and lease deals I've looked over don't increase that much as the value of the car increases as the residual value increases. If the car increases in value by 3500 then it's second hand value presumably also increases.

Or the residual value drops and they push more price onto the financed part becuase of uncertainty around stability of prices (generally an issue with Tesla but more so with variations in grants/VAT/VED/BIK etc)

 

[Durzel]

Who did you manage to speak to at this time?

Sales guy in Bristol. Gave him my RN and he basically said that I'd provided all of the information they needed back in February and that the car had been registered on the portal already and as long as I didn't make any change to the spec then the price wouldn't change.