The GWM Ora 03 has become one of the UK’s cheapest electric cars at £21,245, after the Chinese brand cut the model’s price by £3750 to match the UK government’s new Electric Car Grant.

The ECG, announced last week, will discount new EVs (priced below £37,000) by either £3750 or £1500. These bandings will, however, depend on the cleanliness of the energy grid in the countries both where the EVs are assembled and where their batteries are manufactured. And to qualify for a discount in the first instance, a vehicle’s manufacturer must also be signed up to the Science Based Targets Initiative.

These criteria have been described by industry insiders as a back-door method of excluding Chinese EVs from any grants while propping up those made in the UK and Europe – although the government has yet to publish a list of qualifying models.

In response, some Chinese brands have introduced their own £3750 discounts on their EVs. Leapmotor was first, making its T03 city car the cheapest EV on sale in the UK, and GWM has now followed suit with the Ora 03.

It means the Ora 03 now starts at £21,245, rather than the previous £24,995, undercutting the Citroën ë-C3 (£22,095), Renault 5 (£22,995) and Hyundai Inster (£23,505).

It is possible, however, that those cars will become cheaper than the Ora 03 once the government publishes its list of cars approved for the ECG.

The mid-rung Ora 03 Pro, with a 260-mile range, has been cut to £25,245, while the range-topping Ora 03 GT has dropped to £29,245.

GWM said the discount can also be used as a deposit contribution on a PCP finance deal, requiring a smaller outlay from the buyer to access 0% APR rates.

The move is almost certainly intended to boost sales of the Ora 03, which has struggled to generate much sales traction since its UK launch in late 2022 (as the Ora Funky Cat).

According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, GWM sold 193 cars in the UK during the first half of this year, down from 895 over the same period in 2024.