£290M boost for low emission vehicles

Government confirm £290M investment to support low emission vehicles and reducing carbon emission.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has confirmed the government’s commitment of £290M, to reduce carbon emissions from transport, with the aim for nearly all cars and vans to be zero emission by 2050.

The funding is a major step towards improving air quality, and cutting emissions, with thousands of buses and taxis to be made greener and cleaner.

A total of £150M will be invested in cleaner buses and taxis, which will include putting new, less polluting buses on the road as well as retrofitting engines to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOₓ) emissions. Retrofitting refers to all or part of an engine being modified to reduce NOx emissions.

The Department for Transport has awarded over £27M to retrofit add clean up almost 3,000 of the oldest vehicles.

The government has also pledged £80M to improve charging infrastructure for electric vehicle owners. The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) is now open for applications.

A total of £20M will be invested for an Advanced Renewable Fuel Demonstration Competition. This will provide grant funding, matched by the private sector, to build demonstration-scale advanced renewable fuel plants in the UK. It will target the decarbonisation of lorries and planes.

A further £100 million will support our plans to develop and test connected and driverless vehicle technology.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “We are absolutely determined to reduce carbon emissions from transport as part of our ongoing commitment to tackle climate change.

“This government is committed to improving air quality and reducing pollution in towns and cities, which is essential for people’s health and the environment.

“We are already making headway through our investment in low emission vehicles, greener public transport and walking and cycling, as well as grants for innovative advanced biofuels projects.

Poppy Welch, Head of Go Ultra Low, said: “The £80 million investment in charging infrastructure is vital as growth in the UK electric car market continues to accelerate.

“This is fantastic news for motorists and the continuation of incentives for plug-in vehicles through company tax and salary sacrifice schemes will give thousands more people the option of choosing the very lowest emitting cars and allow more businesses to benefit from adding electric vehicles to their fleets.”

 

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