News
UK Government announces incentive to buy low-carbon cars
Published 30 July 2010 in Sustainable Procurement
Beginning in January 2011, the UK Government will grant motorists up to £5,000 towards purchase of an ultra-low carbon car, it announced this week. The consumer grant will reduce the up-front cost of eligible vehicles by 25 per cent, capped at £5,000. Available across the UK, it will be open to both private and business fleet buyers.
Transport Secretary Philip Hammond confirmed the announcement and the Coalition Government’s commitment to a low-carbon economy, saying “The coalition Government is absolutely committed to low carbon growth, tackling climate change and making our energy supply more secure. We are sending a clear signal that Britain is open for business and that we are committed to greening our economy. This will ensure that the UK is a world leader in low emission vehicles.”
The Government has set the level of the consumer incentive through 31 March 2012. IT will be reviewed in January 2012, allowing officials to take into consideration a number of key factors such as the costs of vehicles and the development of the early market, the level will then be set for subsequent years. Any car eligible for subsidy will have demonstrated compliance against safety and performance criteria published by the Government.
Dr Sam Gardner, Climate Change Policy Officer at WWF Scotland responded, saying, "we welcome this much needed support to encourage the purchase of electric and ultra-low carbon vehicles. Although support is limited to just £5,000 per car, it marks a much needed signal from the new coalition government that it's serious about tackling emissions from our transport system.”
Gardner, however, points out that this incentive must be paired with additional measures and incentives to achieve ambitious goals of mitigating climate change through reduced transport emissions."Our recent research found that as well as returning to 2001 car use levels, one in every ten vehicles on Scotland's roads will need to be an electric by 2020 if we are to meet our ambitious climate targets,” Gardner states. “We need to see the Scottish Government's recently announced funding in this area backed up with a commitment to make the public sector vehicle fleet entirely low carbon by 2020. This is the ambition we must see if we are to hit the targets required by the Climate Change Act."
To view the UK Government press release, visit their website: Green light to ultra low carbon car consumer incentive
To view the Scottish Government press release on low carbon vehicles, view their website: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2010/06/16110208