Pioneering motorists will receive up to
£5,000 to buy an ultra-low carbon car, and the roll-out of supporting
infrastructure will begin in selected regions, the Government announced
today.
The Plug-in Car Grant will be
distributed directly to the consumer at the point of purchase and will
be available across the UK from January 2011, by which time a range of
eligible vehicles is expected to be available.
Also included in the Government's plans
is the roll-out of a £30m fund for a network of electric vehicle hubs -
called Plugged-In Places - which will see charging infrastructure
appearing in car parks, major supermarkets, leisure and retail centres,
as well as on the street. The first Plugged-In Places were today named
today as London, Milton Keynes and the North East; and between them they
will be installing over 11,000 vehicle recharging points during the next
three years.
The initiatives are part of a £450
million Government strategy to support the creation of a flourishing
early market for ultra-low carbon vehicles. The programme will help to
meet the UK's commitment to reduce carbon emissions from transport; as
well as creating new business opportunities for UK-based companies in
the automotive and charging infrastructure sectors.
Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis said:
"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."
Business minister Pat McFadden said:
"Low Carbon vehicles are an important
part of the broader shift to a low carbon economy.
"We have already committed £450m to
delivering our ambitious vision of supporting suppliers of low carbon
technology, encouraging demand from consumers and enabling lead UK
cities and regions to switch on charging infrastructure.
"The Government is focusing on this
sector as a priority and we are committed to helping British businesses
take advantage of the growth potential and job opportunities this
presents."
The Plug-in Car Grant will
significantly reduce prices by providing 25 per cent towards the cost of
a new car, capped at £5,000, and will be open to both private and
business fleet buyers.
To be eligible for the scheme, cars
will have to pass performance criteria to ensure safety, range, and
ultra-low tailpipe emissions.
The Plugged-In Places will provide the
charge points to support these vehicles - demonstrating how electric
vehicle charging works in practice in a range of different settings -
urban, suburban and regional - as well as testing innovative
technologies such as rapid charging, inductive charging and battery
swap.
A second competition for Plugged-in
Places funding is to follow later in the year, with consortia from the
West Midlands, Cornwall, Sheffield, the Lake District, Greater
Manchester and Northern Ireland having already confirmed their intention
to bid for the next wave of funding.
These measures - to be delivered by the
Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) - will move the UK further
towards its ambitious carbon reduction targets. They will also support
the UK automotive, charging infrastructure and other related supply
chain industries in realising the economic opportunities that a shift to
low carbon represents.
OLEV will also lead work to join up the
Plugged-In Places, working closely with partners including the Energy
Technologies Institute and the Technology Strategy Board to ensure a
fully interoperable network is established in the UK. OLEV will be
assessing the feasibility of charging along strategic corridors with the
Highways Agency and motorway service area operators; and of charging
infrastructure at railway station parking facilities with the
Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) and Network Rail.
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