The government could offer motorists £6,000 towards making the switch from petrol and diesel to electric or hybrid cars in a new incentive to help kickstart the UK economy.
The plans could be announced as soon as July 6 in move to help Britain get back on its feet, according to the Telegraph. It’s likely to be similar to the scrappage scheme that was made available in 2010.
That scheme totalled £400m and gave buyers £2,000 off a new car if they scrapped a model aged 10 years or older with the government’s £1,000 matched by manufacturers.
The scheme proved successful with over 390,000 new cars bought over the 10-month period.
Commenting on the proposed scheme, AA president Edmund King said it would be a “fantastic move” and should it get the green light “people should take up the deal”.
“At the start of the year we said that scrapping VAT on electric vehicles would be the most influential move to persuade drivers to go electric,” King said. “A grant like this would be just as good and would help both car manufacturers and air quality.”
The news comes as the car industry renewed its call for some form of stimulus for the new car market – following huge drops in new car registrations in April and May while showrooms were closed.
Picture credit: Go Ultra Low
