The UK Government is to continue its Plug-in Car Grant, intended to encourage motorists to buy electric cars ? but the criteria are being tightened up.
Introduced in 2011 and previously extended until February 2016, the scheme will now continue until at least the end of March 2018.
However the most an electric car buyer will be able to claim back will be £4,500, instead of £5,000 as currently.
Also from March 2016 grants will be made in two categories. Cars offering a zero-emissions range, effectively all-electric, of more than 70 miles will be known as Category 1 and qualify for the £4,500. The vast majority of today?s plug-in hybrids, however will qualify for Category 2 and 3, in which the grant will be worth only £2,500.
Also Category 2 or 3 vehicles retailing at more than £60,000 will not be eligible for any grant. According to Government figures around 50,000 owners have claimed payments under the grant since it was introduced, with numbers growing ? 29 ULEVs (Ultra Low Emission Vehicles) are now available on the UK market, some five times more than in 2011 when the grant was introduced.
?Extending the grant in a sustainable way ensures more than 100,000 people will benefit from financial support when purchasing these cheap-to-run and green cars,? Transport Minister Andrew Jones says.
?We are determined to keep Britain at the forefront of the technology, increasing our support for plug-in vehicles to £600 million over the next five years to cut emissions, create ...