Government consider axing discount on electric cars

• May. 25 by Louise Denny (1)

The new government’s cost-cutting drive has been reported to be considering axing the planned £5,000 discount on all new electric cars, which was due to be introduced next year.

This would be a huge set back for the electric car market, as the industry has already began marketing their new range of electric cars with the idea that this proposed discount would remain in place.

Electric cars are expensive to buy, and it has been said that only the most environmentally conscious amongst us would be prepared to pay out for one. Even the £5,000 discount may not help attract many more buyers, so with the possibility of this discount being scrapped before it has even been put into practice, it is hard to see how the future of electric cars can get ahead.

Numerous dealers in and around Birmingham will be put out by this latest revelation. Renault plan to launch a new range of four zero emission cars 2011, which Renault Birmingham have confirmed they will be stocking from the end of next year.

Mitsubishi have already launched two low CO2 emissions cars in the form of the “Colt” and the “Outlander”, which both boast lower emissions and better fuel economy. There are also plans to release the new “i MiEV” soon, which claims to be “the first viable and affordable fully electric vehicle available in the UK.”

The Acorn Mitsubishi centre at Quinton already stocks the “Colt” from £8,499 and the “Outlander” from £25,999, so this £5,000 discount could really make a difference to the sales of electric cars in and around Birmingham.

With Nissan producing the new zero-emissions, recyclable “Leaf” and Citron marketing the new zero-carbon, 100% electric “C-ZERO” at the end of this year, we could be seeing big changes in the future of environmentally-friendly transport.

However, the cut of this proposed discount could stunt the sales of these cars, especially when you consider that Nissan are already promoting their new “Leaf” under the pretence of this £5,000 discount, offering their car for £23,350 instead of its £28,350 retail price.

The government may not realise it, but they could be damaging the potential for electric cars to have a real future on our roads.