Electric and hybrid UK grant take-up rises 20% in first half of 2012

Take up of grants for the purchase of electric and hybrid cars rose by nearly 20 per cent in the first half of 2012 compared with the same period in 2011. Overall, 134 more claims were registered according to the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) the cross-departmental body which oversees the plug-in grant programme.

Figures reported by Greenwise Business show that as of June 30 2012 a total of 814 claims were made through the Government’s £5000 electric car grant in the first six months of 2012 compared to 892 claims received during the whole of 2011. The claims represent a rise of 134 on the 680 claims made under the Plug-in Car Grant in the first half of 2011.

The latest OLEV statistics show that a further 99 claims were made under the Government’s £8000 Plug-in Van Grant, which was launched at the beginning of 2012. This means a total of 1805 claims have been to date for both cars and vans through the Plug-in Grant, 913 of those in the first half of 2012 compared to 892 claims in the whole of 2011.

Transport Minister Norman Baker said the figures were "broadly in line" with Government expectations and that a greater choice of low emission vehicle models should help sustain the growth going forward.

"The UK is at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution and I am confident that sales will increase further with the introduction of new plug-in vehicles to the market over the coming year," he said.