Britain will expand a discount programme for electric vehicle purchases to include around 20 cheaper models in an effort to encourage more people to switch to less polluting cars, the government said on Wednesday.

Buyers are currently eligible for discounts of up to 2,500 pounds ($3,317) on the price of new low-carbon emission vehicles through the government's plug-in grant given to dealerships and manufacturers.

That scheme will now include some less expensive vehicles. Grants of up to 1,500 pounds will be available for electric cars costing less than 32,000 pounds, covering around 20 more models, the UK Department of Transport (Dft) said in a statement.

The move aligns with Britain's target of banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

The expansion also comes when the adoption of electric vehicles is rising, with the DfT pointing to an 89% jump this year in sales of zero-emission cars compared with 2020. Nearly one in four new cars sold in the last three months had a plug.

The plug-in grant scheme has so far supported nearly half a million vehicles over a decade, the DfT said.

($1 = 0.7537 pounds)

(Reporting by Muhammed Husain and Sachin Ravikumar in Bengaluru)