£30 million Plugged-In Places scheme will also see electric vehicle charge points in streets, car parks and retail centres.
A Plug-In Car Grant will see motorists receive up to £5,000 to buy an ultra-low carbon car.
The grant will be distributed directly to the consumer at the point of purchase and will be available across the UK from January 2011. It will provide 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.
Cars will have to pass performance criteria to ensure safety, range, and ultra-low tailpipe emissions to be eligible for the scheme.
A £30 million fund for a network of electric vehicle hubs, called Plugged-In Places has also been committed, which will see charge points on the street, in car parks, major supermarkets, leisure and retail centres.
They will also test innovative technologies such as rapid charging, inductive charging and battery swap.
The first Plugged-In Places were named as London, Milton Keynes and the North East who will be installing over 11,000 vehicle recharging points between them 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, which will help to meet the UK’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions from transport.
It will also create new business opportunities for UK-based companies in the automotive and charging infrastructure sectors.
Consortia from the West Midlands, Cornwall, Sheffield, the Lake District, Greater Manchester and Northern Ireland have already confirmed their intention to bid for the next wave of Plugged-in Places funding.
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."
"And thanks to the Plugged-In Places we will have in place infrastructure to support this growing early market."
Further information:
Department for Transport |
