Nearly 21,000 plug-in hybrids and EVs sold in 2015 so far, as new tiered Plug-In Car Grant to be brought in for 2016
After the announcement that the UK’s Plug-In Car Grant (PICG) is to be replaced by a new tiered system, sales of both plug-in hybrid and pure electric vehicles have soared.
So far in 2015 20,992 plug-ins and EVs have been registered, with just over 14,000 of those being petrol or diesel-electric hybrids. That’s a 226.5 per cent rise over last year according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
The current £5,000 grant will run out at the end of the year at a date to be confirmed later. The tiered system will see different categories brought in with CO2 and electric range taken into account instead of today’s flat under-75g/km of CO2 requirements.
The success of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV – which has sold 9,300 in 2015 – along with a growing EV market means the limit of 50,000 plug-in cars is expected to be met soon and the allocated cash will run out. It was first estimated that the allowance for 50,000 grants could last until as late as 2017 but plug-in car sales have exceeded these expectations.
Read more: Auto Express