Plug in vehicle grant extended to 2018
Office for Low Emission Vehicles extends grant scheme for two more years, but introduces cuts to how much motorists will be subsidised
The Office for Low Emission Vehicles has confirmed plans to extend time on the UK government's current scheme to subsidise purchases of hybrid and electric vehicles.
The scheme was set to end in February 2016, but new plans will extend the incentive for two more years until "at least the end of March 2018". More than 100,000 motorists could still benefit when purchasing a new hybrid or electric car, according to transport minister Andrew Jones.
However, the announcement also introduces a few changes to the way the grants will work. The maximum subsidiary is now £4,500, down £500, and three vehicle categories have been introduced with two different rates.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Category 1 is reserved for cars with zero emissions range of over 70 miles, and will be eligible for the full £4,500 grant when the new rates are introduced early next year. Fully electric vehicles, like the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S will fall into this category.
Category 2 and 3 vehicles with shorter zero emissions range – such as petrol and diesel plug-in hybrids – will be available with a £2,500 grant.
There's a cap on the price of category 2 and 3 cars too. Vehicles with a list price over £60,000 will not be eligible for the grant, such as the BMW i8. All category 1 cars, regardless of price, will receive the maximum subsidiary.
Motorists can also receive a grant of £500 to help cover the costs of installing a dedicated charging point at home, but this is down from £700 currently.
Nissan, the manufacturers of best-selling all-electric Leaf, which has now sold 200,000 units, welcomed the decision.
Autocar reports that since the scheme was first introduced in 2011, around 50,000 motorists have taken advantage of the subsidiaries on offer, and the level of consumer choice in low emission vehicles has increased five-fold.
Fleetworld adds that the £8,000 grant for ultra-low emission vans will not change.
The announcement comes not long after the UK government signed an agreement with 13 other countries and US states to start an aggressive promotion of low emission vehicles with an aim to make every new car sold in Britain emit zero emissions by 2050.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
6 refillable travel containers that are as stylish as they are sustainable
Pack well and carry on with these leak-proof options
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
How the transgender community is bracing for Trump
The Explainer After a campaign full of bigotry and promises to roll back hard-earned rights, genderqueer people are grappling with an incoming administration prepared to make good on overtly transphobic rhetoric
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - November 12, 2024
Cartoons Tuesday's cartoons - judgemental looks, Europe's bumpy ride, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Sport on TV guide: Christmas 2022 and New Year listings
Speed Read Enjoy a feast of sporting action with football, darts, rugby union, racing, NFL and NBA
By Mike Starling Published
-
House of the Dragon: what to expect from the Game of Thrones prequel
Speed Read Ten-part series, set 200 years before GoT, will show the incestuous decline of Targaryen
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
One in 20 young Americans identify as trans or non-binary
Speed Read New research suggests that 44% of US adults know someone who is transgender
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Turner Prize 2022: a ‘vintage’ shortlist?
Speed Read All four artists look towards ‘growth, revival and reinvention’ in their work
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
What’s on TV this Christmas? The best holiday television
Speed Read From films and documentaries to musicals for all the family
By The Week Staff Published
-
Coco vision: up close to Chanel opticals
Speed Read Parisian luxury house adds opticals to digital offering
By The Week Staff Published
-
Abba returns: how the Swedish supergroup and their ‘Abba-tars’ are taking a chance on a reunion
Speed Read From next May, digital avatars of the foursome will be performing concerts in east London
By The Week Staff Published
-
‘Turning down her smut setting’: how Nigella Lawson is cleaning up her recipes
Speed Read Last week, the TV cook announced she was axing the word ‘slut’ from her recipe for Slut Red Raspberries in Chardonnay Jelly
By The Week Staff Published