KATHMANDU: The UK government is preparing to introduce new measures to help make electric vehicles (EVs) more affordable, according to Bloomberg.
This move is part of the Labor government’s plan to phase out the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles in the coming years.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she will soon announce new steps to boost EV sales. “We will be making it cheaper for those who want to make the switch to electric vehicles,” Alexander told the BBC.
As part of the plan, the government also announced an investment of about $85 million to build EV charging stations at homes and logistics centers across the UK. This includes support for homes without driveways.
Additionally, the Department for Transport outlined a $3.3 billion package to support automakers in transitioning to zero-emission vehicle production.
Electric vehicles in the UK are still more than twice as expensive as petrol-powered cars. The government hopes these investments will encourage more people to go electric.
The UK is currently Europe’s largest EV market and has set a target to end the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2030, and hybrid cars by 2035.
However, Bloomberg noted that automakers are falling short of government-mandated EV sales targets. Industry leaders blame the slow progress on high vehicle prices and limited charging infrastructure, which continue to concern potential buyers.
