Britain offers US$5,000 discounts on electric cars to boost demand
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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.
As part of a wider goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, Britain wants to phase out sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. But demand for
electric vehicles (EVs) has stalled, with consumers citing high upfront costs as the main barrier.
'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.
British Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander. Photo: Reuters
Britain scrapped a previous incentive scheme for electric vehicle purchases in 2022 as the then-Conservative government shifted focus to spending on expanding the public charging network.
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