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Electric scooter company, e-motive,
has called on the government to include two-wheeled transport in its
support for electric vehicles.
In yesterday’s Pre-budget report,
the Chancellor, announced tax concessions for companies purchasing
electric cars and vans but neglected to include motorcycles. This makes
no sense, particularly as the government is promoting motorcycling
through the
Get On
programme. There are thousands of businesses and employees that use
motorcycles and they should receive the same support as those buying
cars.
In addition, with schemes such as
Plugged in Places,
the government is providing significant funding for cities installing
electric vehicles charging infrastructure but the focus is very much on
cars. Paul Williams, Managing Director of e-motive,
thinks the government will be missing a trick if it does not include
incentives and charging points for scooters and motorcycles.
Paul said:
“Two-wheeled transport has some distinct advantages when it comes to
zero-emissions technology. Being smaller and lighter, they are far
better suited to current battery technology than cars.
“They are
mechanically simpler, more reliable and considerably cheaper, which
makes taking that first step into electric vehicles much easier. They
are also a more practical choice as a commuter vehicle for earners in a
family that needs a car.
“Congestion will also be far
reduced through the promotion of bikes. Cars may have the capacity to
carry more passengers but we know the percentage of people who fully
utilise car capacity is small. On the flip side, electric cars laden
with 4 passengers will suffer from significantly reduced range and will
need frequent recharging. With their large battery packs, their draw on
the grid will be huge compared to the small efficient battery and motor
combinations seen on electric scooters such as the e-motive.”
Whilst there will
be nothing to prevent scooters charging up from roadside charging
points, particularly if they provide a standard 240V supply, Williams
envisages special electric ‘bike sheds’ as the most efficient use of
space.
“Bikes have a much
smaller parking footprint for inner-city charging and you could park and
charge 25 electric scooters in a relatively compact ‘shed’, making this
an ideal solution for city centres where space is at a premium. It would
certainly also make sense as a requirement for major city centre
building developments too, either residential or business.
“As a starting point, we are
asking the Chancellor to extend tax concessions to electric motorcycles
and scooters, and pressing the DfT to add them to their criteria for
Plugged in Places
funding applications.”
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