{"id":475196,"date":"2022-07-18T11:15:52","date_gmt":"2022-07-18T08:15:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/uks-plug-in-grant-is-no-more-what-happened-to-making-evs-affordable-for-everyone\/"},"modified":"2022-07-18T11:15:52","modified_gmt":"2022-07-18T08:15:52","slug":"uks-plug-in-grant-is-no-more-what-happened-to-making-evs-affordable-for-everyone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/uks-plug-in-grant-is-no-more-what-happened-to-making-evs-affordable-for-everyone\/","title":{"rendered":"#UK\u2019s \u2018plug-in-grant\u2019 is no more \u2014 what happened to making EVs affordable for everyone?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a41270b76f0d\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a41270b76f0d\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/uks-plug-in-grant-is-no-more-what-happened-to-making-evs-affordable-for-everyone\/#%E2%80%9CUKs_%E2%80%98plug-in-grant_is_no_more_%E2%80%94_what_happened_to_making_EVs_affordable_for_everyone%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;UK\u2019s \u2018plug-in-grant\u2019 is no more \u2014 what happened to making EVs affordable for everyone?&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/uks-plug-in-grant-is-no-more-what-happened-to-making-evs-affordable-for-everyone\/#Hi_there_EV_nerd\" >Hi there, EV nerd!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/uks-plug-in-grant-is-no-more-what-happened-to-making-evs-affordable-for-everyone\/#Driving_away_business\" >Driving away business<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CUKs_%E2%80%98plug-in-grant_is_no_more_%E2%80%94_what_happened_to_making_EVs_affordable_for_everyone%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;UK\u2019s \u2018plug-in-grant\u2019 is no more \u2014 what happened to making EVs affordable for everyone?&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div id=\"article-main-content\">\n                            Since 2011, the UK government has been providing a tax-payer funded discount on the sale of battery electric vehicles. Known as the \u201cplug-in car grant\u201d, it was designed to help persuade motorists make the switch from diesel or petrol and commit to electric driving.<\/p>\n<p>But last month the grant\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-news\/consumer\/uk-government-axes-plug-car-grant-immediate-effect\">was scrapped<\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span>with im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>te effect. It wasn\u2019t exactly a surprise, given that the amount buyers were able to claim back had gradually been whittled down from<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Government_incentives_for_plug-in_electric_vehicles#United_Kingdom\">\u00a35,000<\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span>to \u00a31,500; or that it was recently available only for new vehicles costing less than \u00a332,000 (the average cost of electric cars is around<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nimblefins.co.uk\/average-cost-electric-car-uk#buy\">\u00a343,000<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>In fact, the government had been trying to scrap the grant completely for a while. Only a<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.autoexpress.co.uk\/car-news\/104868\/government-electric-car-grant-will-come-to-an-end-transport-secretary-says\">major backlash<\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span>a couple of years ago forced the government to do a speedy handbrake turn and keep it going for a while longer.<\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper shift channel-cta hs-embed-tnw\">\n<div id=\"hs-embed-tnw\" class=\"channel-cta-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"channel-cta-img\"><img class=\"js-lazy\" https:=\"\"\/><\/div>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/src=\" https:=\"\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<div class=\"channel-cta-input\">\n<h2 class=\"channel-cta-title\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hi_there_EV_nerd\"><\/span>Hi there, EV nerd!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"channel-cta-tagline\">Subscribe now for a weekly recap of our favorite mobility stories<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Now though, the high level of demand for electric vehicles <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ears to have given the Treasury the green light to pull the plug once and for all. Instead it is apparently opting for a<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/news\/plug-in-grant-for-cars-to-end-as-focus-moves-to-improving-electric-vehicle-charging\">\u201cshift in focus\u201d<\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span>towards charging infrastructure, although no new money has been announced for this.<\/p>\n<p>The<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.birminghammail.co.uk\/news\/midlands-news\/government-scraps-electric-car-grants-24222005\">government\u2019s argument<\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span>for scrapping the subsidy is that it has already done its job of getting the wheels of the electric car market moving. There are also significant financial benefits to owning an electric car such as reduced running costs, and no road tax bill.<\/p>\n<p>And it is true that the market for electric vehicles is strengthening. Prices have come down, the range of models has improved, and it is estimated that<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-59887024\">one in four cars<\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span>sold in the UK and EU this year could be battery powered.<\/p>\n<p>But that could quickly change. Other countries which have withdrawn financial support for car buyers have seen a<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/industries\/automotive-and-assembly\/our-insights\/mckinsey-electric-vehicle-index-europe-cushions-a-global-plunge-in-ev-sales\">dip in demand<\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span>for electric cars.<\/p>\n<p>For now, the government is essentially saying it will switch towards supporting the charging infrastructure and<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fleetnews.co.uk\/news\/latest-fleet-news\/electric-fleet-news\/2022\/06\/14\/chancellor-urged-to-keep-company-car-tax-low-to-support-ev-uptake\">company car buyers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>At first glance, targeting the purchase of company cars makes sense. Lots of firms buy new cars, and their drivers tend to clock up more miles than private owners. So if they can be encouraged to buy electric cars, this will help reduce CO\u2082 emissions on the roads.<\/p>\n<p>After two or three years, those company cars are fed into the used car market, potentially increasing the number of electric vehicles available.<\/p>\n<p>But it raises a big question over fairness. Subsidising company cars provides savings to business owners, and employees who may benefit from company car\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/businessadvice.co.uk\/tax-and-admin\/benefit-in-kind-electric-cars\/\">tax breaks<\/a>. Opting for an electric vehicle is becoming an increasingly obvious choice for managers and business owners, with a tax system designed to assist them.<\/p>\n<p>So far, so good \u2013 for the relatively well off. In affluent areas of the UK, shiny new Teslas, Polestars, e-Trons plugged into the domestic electricity supply have become a common sight on driveways.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Driving_away_business\"><\/span>Driving away business<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In poorer areas, they are much less common, and so are the driveways. But those with their own private home charging point enjoy much cheaper rates, because plugging into an on-street charging point means paying 20% VAT on the electricity rather than the 5% of a domestic tariff.<\/p>\n<p>So while targeting company cars and fleet drivers makes some sense in promoting wider electric vehicle uptake, the policy seems pretty regressive. The government seems to have forgotten about helping the less well off into electric vehicles.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1389633 js-lazy\" alt=\"UK EV adoption \" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 594px) 100vw, 594px\" https:=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/Screen-Shot-2022-07-18-at-10.51.57.png 594w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/Screen-Shot-2022-07-18-at-10.51.57-280x187.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/Screen-Shot-2022-07-18-at-10.51.57-203x135.png 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/Screen-Shot-2022-07-18-at-10.51.57-405x270.png 405w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fshift%2F2022%2F07%2F18%2Fuks-plug-in-grant-is-no-more-what-happened-to-making-evs-affordable-syndication%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Undercharged policy? Credit: Shutterstock\/phaustov\" data-title=\"Share Undercharged policy? Credit: Shutterstock\/phaustov on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Undercharged policy? Credit: Shutterstock\/phaustov on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Undercharged policy? Credit: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/londonuk300718-two-white-volkswagen-golf-gte-1636208521\">Shutterstock\/phaustov<\/a><\/figcaption><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1389633\" https:=\"\" alt=\"UK EV adoption \" width=\"594\" height=\"396\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/Screen-Shot-2022-07-18-at-10.51.57.png 594w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/Screen-Shot-2022-07-18-at-10.51.57-280x187.png 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/Screen-Shot-2022-07-18-at-10.51.57-203x135.png 203w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/Screen-Shot-2022-07-18-at-10.51.57-405x270.png 405w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>In contrast, New Zealand recently announced a<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.1news.co.nz\/2022\/05\/16\/29b-climate-change-boost-for-evs-waste-emissions-reduction\/\">\u201cclean car upgrade programme\u201d<\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span>which aims to help low and middle income families into low-emission cars through what is effectively a scrap-and-replace scheme. In Scotland, a new\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.insider.co.uk\/news\/scottish-government-pledges-30-million-27168802\">plan<\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span>offers interest-free loans to anyone looking to buy a new or used electric cars. It will be interesting to see whether these ideas have the desired effect.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the global car industry is being severely constrained by the<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bdo.co.uk\/en-gb\/insights\/industries\/manufacturing\/how-the-chip-shortage-is-hitting-the-uk-automotive-sector\">chip shortage<\/a>. In the UK, it also finds itself under pressure from the<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business-61795693\">shift in approach<\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span>which now favours the \u201cstick\u201d of economic mandates over the \u201ccarrot\u201d of widely available grants.<\/p>\n<p>Under the<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fleetnews.co.uk\/news\/latest-fleet-news\/electric-fleet-news\/2022\/04\/07\/government-launches-consultation-on-zero-emission-vehicle-mandate\">zero emission vehicle mandate<\/a>, manufacturers will be required to sell a certain proportion of electric vehicles before 2030. If they don\u2019t hit the targets they will be fined.<\/p>\n<p>Unsurprisingly, the government\u2019s latest moves have not<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smmt.co.uk\/2022\/06\/smmt-response-to-end-of-plug-in-car-grant\/\">gone down well<\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span>with a car industry struggling in a difficult economic climate. And nor should the government forget the economic challenges for drivers of soaring petrol prices and the rising cost of living. If it wants more of them to make the switch to electric vehicles, it should be much more focused on making them an<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/knowablemagazine.org\/article\/society\/2022\/make-electric-vehicles-affordable\">affordable option<\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span>for as many motorists as possible.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article by<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/david-bailey-109235\">David Bailey<\/a>, Professor of Business Economics,<span> <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-birmingham-1138\">University of Birmingham<\/a>, and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/phil-tomlinson-131179\">Phil Tomlinson<\/a>, <span>Professor of Industrial Strategy and Deputy Director Centre for Governance, Regulation and Industrial Strategy (CGR&amp;IS)<\/span>,<span> <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-bath-1325\">University of Bath<\/a>, is republished from<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/\">The Conversation<\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span>under a Creative Commons license. Read the<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/the-road-ahead-for-electric-cars-relies-on-affordability-not-scrapping-grants-186176\">original article<\/a>.<\/em>\n                        <\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/uks-plug-in-grant-is-no-more-what-happened-to-making-evs-affordable-syndication\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;UK\u2019s \u2018plug-in-grant\u2019 is no more \u2014 what happened to making EVs affordable for everyone?&#8221; Since 2011, the UK government has been providing a tax-payer funded discount on the sale of battery electric vehicles. Known as the \u201cplug-in car grant\u201d, it was designed to help persuade motorists make the switch from diesel or petrol and commit&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":475197,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/shift?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/Untitled-design-92-10.jpg&signature=7606bf842a299877c98c82778d509e0c","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-475196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=475196"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475196\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/475197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=475196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=475196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=475196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}