Fiat has renewed its call on the Government to bring back the plug-in car grant – to help boost the uptake of EVs. The car manufacturer has urged ministers to reinstate the scheme, which launched in 2011 and allowed drivers to apply for funding of £5,000 to put towards an electric vehicle.

Intended to increase sales of EVs, it was scrapped in June 2022, having been reduced to just £1,500.

But the maker of the 500e, and recently-launched, family-focused 600e, believes reintroducing the grant would “significantly” increase the number of petrol and diesel drivers making the switch to EVs.

In January, EV sales stood at 14.7 percent of new registrations, with private buyer sales down 25.1 percent year-on-year.

Fiat’s UK MD, Damien Dally, said: “More needs to be done. Consumers need further support to have a reason to make the switch to electric.

“The good news is the UK has now passed the one million electric vehicles landmark. However, the electric car market in this country is in real jeopardy.

“Private sales, as opposed to business and fleets, are softening, and that’s a trend that needs a collective effort to reverse.

“With the Spring Budget just around the corner, we are urging the Government to reintroduce incentives for consumers – or face stifling, or even undoing, all the good work achieved to date, and risking endangering net zero climate targets.”

The move echoes the findings of the House of Lords environment and climate change committee report earlier this month.

Under the Government’s own Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, over a fifth (22 percent) of new car sales in the UK must be pure electric in 2024 – and that figure must hit 80 percent by 2030.

The Italian maker of the popular Fiat 500e, and newly-launched Fiat 600e, has expanded its own £3,000 grant, the FIAT E-Grant, for customers, to show that it is “doing its bit” to support the Government’s targets.

Last June, the Italian car brand became the first manufacturer to launch its own electric car grant – 12 months after the Government removed any financial incentives to encourage drivers to go electric.

At launch, the FIAT E-Grant was offered on the Fiat 500e and Fiat 500e convertible. The grant is now also available on the new Fiat 600e and Abarth 500e.

Industry expert, and editor of Autocar Business, Mark Tisshaw, who is among those who have highlighted the issue, said: “The Government’s silence is becoming deafening.

“It has mandated that 22 percent of new car sales must be electric in 2024 – but it’s doing precious little to support this aim.”

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Post source: Express