Up to £5000 off an EV, plug-in hybrid or fuel cell car

The Department for Transport has today unveiled a much more eco-friendly alternative to the scrappage scheme: subsidies towards buying an all-electric, fuel cell or plug-in hybrid vehicle. The £230million  ‘Plug-In Car Grant’ scheme will start from January 2011, with a 25% discount (up to a £5000 limit) on the list price of models on an approved list.

Qualifying cars will meet agreed standards for safety, reliability, performance and warranty (set by the Office for Low Emissions Vehicles). In parallel with the scheme, there will be investment into providing more public charging points; the first places to benefit will be London, Milton Keynes and the North-East region, with additional cities and areas to bid for the next round of funding.

Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis said today: “Decarbonising transport isn’t an aspiration – it’s a reality. By this time next year, cutting edge motorists will be on the roads with these next generation cars they’ve purchased because of our help. And thanks to the Plugged-In Places we will have in place infrastructure to support this growing early market.

“Transport has a huge part to play in helping the UK meet its stringent emission reduction targets and today’s announcement is another step on the road to putting the UK at the global forefront of ultra-low carbon vehicle development, manufacture and use.”

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