The UK Department of Transport announced on Thursday that the British government will be constructing recharging hubs for electric cars and give as much as £5,000 to each individual who purchases an ‘ultra-low carbon’ vehicle starting next year.
Business and private buyers across the UK will be eligible for the 25% disbursement on a car’s purchase price under the Plug-in Car Grant starting January 2011, when a series of vehicles entitled to the grant would be introduced.
According to Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis, “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”.
The vehicles that qualify for part of the £230 million fund are limited to hydrogen fuel cell cars, plug-in hybrid vehicles with emissions under 75 g/km, or battery electric cars.
Electric vehicles are required to have a minimum range of 70 miles or 113 kilometres, while hybrids should be able to run without fuel for a minimum of 10 miles. All automobiles need to be able to run faster than 60 mph.
The government is also planning to spend £30 million on construction of ‘Plugged-in Places’, a network of recharging hubs for electric vehicles which will be installed in supermarkets, car parks and certain streets.
The first hubs will be built in Milton Keynes, London, and the north east area of England. The government plans to construct 11,000 stations in those regions within the next three years.
The project is a vital part of the UK’s efforts to curb carbon emissions from vehicles, which is responsible for one-fifth of Britain’s total emissions.
