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Electric car grants to benefit manufacturers

by Gary Lerude

The government are to provide grants of up to £5,000 to encourage motorists in the UK to purchase the eco-friendly vehicles.

From next month, drivers who buy the Mitsubishi iMiEV, the Mercedes-Benz smart Fortwo ED or the Peugeot iON are eligible for the grants.

They will also be rolled out next year on new models released - the Citroen CZero, the Nissan Leaf and the Tata Vista EV.

Discounts on Toyota's Prius Plug-in car, the Vauxhall Ampera and Chevrolet's Volt model will be available from early 2012.

The number of charging points across the UK is also set to increase.

The east of England, the Midlands, Greater Manchester, Northern Ireland and Scotland are the new regions installing local charging points and have successfully bid for a share of a £20 million fund.

The east of England charging points include Stansted airport, Cambridge, Norwich and Ipswich. The Midlands points include Birmingham, Coventry, Nottingham and Worcester, while Scottish points include Edinburgh and central Glasgow.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said nine different electric car models would be eligible for a grant of up to £5,000 including those created by leading manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz and Toyota.

The average cost of an electric car is around £30,000, much higher than a petrol or diesel equivalent which coulld mean the scheme takes a while to become popular.

"2011 could be remembered as the year the electric car took off," Hammond said in a statement.

"Government action to support affordable vehicles and more local charging points means we are on the threshold of an exciting green revolution," he added.

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