If you drive a car in Britain, you’ll have heard of the Government’s plans to stop the sales of all petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles by at least 2035. This has been done to help the UK cut its carbon emissions.
With the halt on sales of these vehicles, electric cars are expected to take over, and, if the recent budget is anything to go by, plans are already being put in place to help.
The last Budget
Within the overall budget, there were many elements for motorists, but, there were several interesting ones for the world of electric cars.
To help ease the transition to electric vehicles, a huge amount of money, £500m has been allocated to the improvement of the charging network. This will see huge infrastructure changes over the next five years to ensure those driving electric cars are no more than 30 miles away from a charging port.
Meanwhile, the grant in place to help those looking to buy an electric car has been extended past the 2020 deadline to 2023. However, the grant has now been changed from the initial £3,500 to £3,00 on cars purchased after March 2020. This can’t be used on cars of over £50,000, however, electric cars will be exempt from the ‘Expensive Car Supplements’, helping to save up to £1,600 over five years on vehicles valued at £40,000 and above.
What are car companies doing about EVs?
With all of this announced fairly recently, it may be too soon to see exactly what companies are doing. However, that doesn’t mean that moves aren’t already being taken to increase the number of electric vehicles available to drivers.
In 2019 BMW announced that the company would be launching 25 new electrified models by 2023. This was two years sooner than originally anticipated. This will include electric versions of the 3 Series, 7 Series, X3, X5, iX3 SUV and 2020 Cooper SE.
However, it isn’t just BMW, with electric models currently available from the following:
• Tesla Model 3
• MG ZS EV
• Audi e-Tron
• Mercedes-Benz EQC
• Jaguar I-Pace
• Nissan Leaf
• Hyundai Kona Electric
• Hyundai Ioniq Electric
• Tesla Model X
• Tesla Model S
• VW e-Golf
• Kia E-Niro
• Honda e
• Renault Zoe
• Smart Fortwo Electric Drive
• VW e-Up
What it means for UK motorists
While motorists don’t have a choice in the change, there are 15 more years before the full ban takes place. This is excellent news for drivers, whether they’re looking to buy or opt for personal car leasing from firms like ZenAuto.
Due to the increase in the manufacturing of electric vehicles, there will be more and more options available, and as time goes on, these currently more expensive vehicles will become much cheaper. Of course, with an increase in people selling these cars, you’ll be able to get hold of second-hand electric cars within the next 10 years.
So, if you’re a driver who’s worrying about the move to electric cars, there’s no need to panic as there’s quite some time ahead. Maybe now would be a good time to sit back and keep your eye on the industry and the other adjustments the government will make in the coming years that may help out.
