Government commits £35m to ultra-low emission vehicle projects

The government has unveiled a £35m package to boost the uptake of ultra-low emission cars and scooters. The funding commitment will see more electric vehicle chargepoints installed on streets and at workplaces across the UK after the number of new ultra-low emission vehicles registered rose by 250% over a two year periods.

The funding announced includes:

• the next steps of a £20m competition that will help councils roll out chargepoints for ultra-low emission taxis
• up to £10m funding for chargepoints outside workplaces and homes where there is no off-street parking
• launch of an initial £3.75m scheme to encourage uptake of zero emission motorcycles and scooters
• £2m awarded to public and private sector organisations to deploy hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

The announcement is part of the government’s plans to improve air quality, and it comes as Defra launch a new consultation on introducing clean air zones in Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Derby and Southampton by 2020 - delivering on the government’s commitment to create cleaner air and reduce emissions.

Transport Minister John Hayes said: “No matter what mode of transport you need - a scooter to get to work, a car or a van to run your business - we are here to help you do it with zero emissions. The number of ultra-low emission vehicles on our roads are at record levels and new registrations have risen by 250% in just over two years. We are committing £35m to help install new chargepoints and offer new grants as we aim for nearly all cars and vans on our roads to be zero emission by 2050.” 

The £35m funding is being delivered as part of the government’s commitment to invest £600m in ultra-low emission vehicles by 2020.

There be a £20m competition pot designed to encourage the uptake of ultra-low emission taxis. It give councils the opportunity to apply for funds to install chargepoints to be used by local taxi fleets.

A £7.5m workplace charging scheme, due to be launched this autumn, will be open to eligible private and public sector workplaces in the UK to support the installation of charging infrastructure for their staff and fleet use.

The majority of electric car owners charge their vehicles at home, which the DfT says is not always practical for people without driveways. A further £2.5m is thus being made available to councils who commit to installing chargepoints on streets near homes without private off-street parking.

In addition, an initial £3.75m is being made available for motorcycle and scooter riders who want to want to go green, providing them with up to 20% off the cost of an electric motorcycle or scooter. Buyers will be able to claim a maximum discount of £1,500.

The DfT will also revealing the winners of its hydrogen fuel cell vehicles fleet competition. Fourteen public and private sector fleets from around the country – including city councils, emergency authorities, car hire firms and the Science Museum- will receive a share of £2m for a total of 50 hydrogen-fuelled cars and vans, more than doubling the number of these types of vehicles on UK’s roads.

The government is also buying two brand new Nissan LEAF electric cars for the Government Car Service, on top of four that are already in use. The vehicles are built at the Nissan motor manufacturing plant in Sunderland.

The government has already made £5m available via the Go Ultra Low public sector fleet scheme first launched in 2014. This has seen more than 280 electric cars being by councils, hospitals and emergency services across England and Wales, as well as government departments.