EV uptake rises / plug-in vehicle grant temporarily extended - RAC reaction

Following a Government announcement on the plug-in vehicle grant, as well as new SMMT data that shows an increase in the number of new battery electric vehicles registered, RAC electric vehicles spokesman Simon Williams said:

“Growth in the new car market is a welcome sign after years of disruption because of Covid and semi-conductor shortages but we are still a long way off the market being buoyant. September is also a landmark month for plug-in vehicles, with confirmation that over one million electrified plug-in vehicles have been registered. In September alone, new pure electric vehicles were the second largest group of vehicles sold, after petrol. A temporary extension to the plug-in vehicle grant as announced by the Government yesterday is also welcome news.

“Drivers clearly see the benefit of clean, economical electric cars which have lower running costs than conventional vehicles. However, clouds may be gathering on the horizon. Rising wholesale electricity costs have made charging more expensive – especially so at public rapid charge points. For those who do not have the ability to charge at home, it's unfair to expect them to pay much higher charging costs than those who can charge at home. We call on the Treasury to cut VAT on public charging to 5% to ensure fairness for all drivers and to ensure demand remains strong.”

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