From today (January 1, 2011), UK electric car buyers can benefit from a grant worth up to £5,000 towards the cost of their purchase.
The New Year is set for an electrifying start as the Government’s ‘Plug-in Car Grant’ scheme goes live, which awards motorists with a grant worth 25 per cent of the cost of their low emission car, capped at a maximum of £5,000 and only available to vehicles which meet strict criteria including a regulation that they emit less than 75g/km of CO2. The first eligible vehicles under the scheme are electric cars, with plug-in hybrids set to follow.
Peugeot’s iON, smart’s fortwo electric drive and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV will be the first cars available with the discounts, arriving in the UK in time for the start of 2011. In total nine cars have been approved for the scheme, including the Nissan Leaf, set to arrive in the UK in March.
"The transition to ultra-low carbon vehicles is a great opportunity for the UK motor industry. The Plug-In Car Grant will support the delivery of practical, low carbon vehicles and we will see further progress of new and conventional technologies in the years ahead," said Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive. "The incentive, coupled with the charging infrastructure programme, Plugged-In Places, is helping to develop a co-ordinated and comprehensive approach to creating vital consumer demand."
The beginning of the incentive marks the start of a major push by the UK government to establish a market for electric and other low emission cars. Along with the consumer grants, a Plugged-in Places Scheme is helping the UK establish a recharging infrastructure for the new breed of clean vehicles. A total of eight locations have currently been granted funds to install charging points through the Plugged-In Places scheme. London, Milton Keynes, North East England, Midlands, Greater Manchester, East of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland will share £20m to install over 15,000 charging points in the coming years.
Vehicles eligible for the Plug-In Car Grant:
Mitsubishi i-MiEV: Arrives January 2011
smart fortwo electric drive: arrives January 2011
Peugeot iOn: arrives January 2011
Nissan Leaf: arrives March 2011
Tata Vista: arrives March 2011
Citroen CZero: arrives early 2011
Vauxhall Ampera: arrives early 2012
Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid: arrives early 2012
Chevrolet Volt: arrives early 2012
