Britain plans to introduce a £1.5 billion ($2 billion) package to speed up the transition to electric vehicles, including an additional £1.3 billion for its Electric Car Grant scheme, the government said on Tuesday.
The programme, launched in July, has supported more than 35,000 drivers in switching to an EV by reducing upfront purchase costs by up to £3,750.
The measures will be detailed in the Nov. 26 budget and will include a further £200 million to accelerate the installation of public chargepoints across the country.
The initiatives form part of Britain’s strategy to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, which includes ending sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. EV demand, however, has softened as consumers continue to cite high initial costs as a key barrier.
The opposition Conservative Party criticised the proposals, arguing that the package fails to address broader economic pressures on households. “Ordinary families are facing increased taxes and spiralling inflation under Labour, yet the government’s priority is handing out discounts on new electric cars,” said Richard Holden, the party’s transport policy chief. “This is exactly the kind of tone-deaf, big-spending nonsense that we expect from this Labour government,” he said.