Just 910 cars have been registered under the government’s Plug-in Car Grant scheme since it launched in January.
The latest figures from the Department for Transport show that in the nine months until the end of September 2011, 786 claims have been put through for the Plug-in Car Grants (PICG), worth up to £5,000 each to motorist who buys an electric or plug-in hybrid car. Just 100 cars were registered through the scheme during the plate-changing month of September.
The figures, much lower than those predicted by the government, are likely to attract criticism of the scheme for failing to stimulate demand EVs. However it is hoped that the arrival of more models eligible for the grant early next year will help drive interest in the scheme. The Chevrolet Volt and Vauxhall Ampera range-extended cars are both expected to arrive in the UK in early 2012, while the Toyota Prius Plug-in hybrid is also scheduled to go on sale in the UK from the spring.
The Department for Transport attempts to sugar-coat the results, calling it a ‘step change’ on its website. By comparing the sales of alternative fuel cars last year to this year however, there does appear to be a marked improvement. According to SMMT data, year-to-date figures (up to 30 September) shown a 809.7 per cent growth in the sales of plug in cars in the UK compared to 2010 and a growth of 1009.8 per cent in sales of cars which meet the PICG eligible criteria. While only 100 plug-in cars were registered in the UK in September this year, this compares to just 24 registered in the same month of last year.
The September market is particularly important to the car industry typically the second largest single month for new car registrations, usually accounting for around 17 per cent of all car sales each year.
Cars such as the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i-MiEV are available to buy through the scheme, with a total of ten models as yet approved for the grants.
