Britain offers US$5,000 discounts on electric cars to boost demand
To achieve the net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goal by 2050, the UK wants to phase out sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030
The British government will offer discounts worth up to £3,750 (US$5,037.00) to buyers of electric cars priced at £37,000 or below, it said on Monday, under a new scheme that aims to better align consumer demand with net zero emissions targets.
The government will spend £650 million on the discount scheme, which will be available from Wednesday to consumers once carmakers sign up for the scheme.
“This EV grant will not only allow people to keep more of their hard-earned money – it’ll help our automotive sector seize one of the biggest opportunities of the 21st century,” Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said.
The scheme follows calls from the automotive industry for EV incentives, as carmakers effectively need to sell more EVs each year to meet emissions targets or pay fines.
