The British government abruptly reduced subsidies for electric vehicles, causing discontent

IT House Reported on December 18 that the British government has suddenly cut subsidies for plug-in cars for electric vehicles, and the British Transport Department (DfT) has almost no warning, confirming that the subsidy will be cut from 2500 pounds to 1500 pounds (about 12705 yuan), and the subsidy will only apply to cars with a price of less than 32000 pounds (about 271,000 yuan).

It's the latest decision to cut subsidies for plug-in cars in the UK, where earlier this year the price cap for cars eligible for the UK's plug-in car subsidies was lowered to £35,000, while the subsidy was cut to £2,500. As soon as the news broke, many manufacturers lowered the price of their vehicles to stay within the £35,000 cap.

Subsidies for most private cars have now been reduced to £1,500, and the price cap has been lowered again. However, the rules are slightly different for wheelchair-accessible cars, which will continue to provide a £2,500 subsidy and a higher price cap of £35,000.

It House understands that Transport Secretary Trudy Harrison said priority will be given to subsidizing more affordable vehicles rather than high-end models. "The market is rushing into the process of shifting to electric vehicles, and this, coupled with the increasing number of new car options and growing demand from customers, means that we are refocusing our vehicle subsidies on more affordable vehicles and lowering the subsidy rate to benefit more people and make further use of taxpayers' money," she said. We want as many people as possible to be able to switch to electric vehicles, which is why we will also introduce new rules to make it easier to find charging points and pay. This will ensure drivers have confidence in our charging infrastructure as we look to reduce carbon emissions, create green jobs and raise the bar across the UK. ”

But the Royal Flying Club (RAC) says the change is killing users' choice, with only about 20 new electric vehicles now meeting the criteria.

Nicholas Lyes, head of road policy at RAC, said: "This disappointing subsidy cut means that only about 20 evicted models are now eligible for subsidies, which does not leave a large number of options for consumers. "RAC's research shows that drivers are already feeling that the upfront cost of an electric car is too high, so this is a step in the wrong direction. If you're lucky, more models on the market will help offset the government's cuts in subsidies for plug-in cars. "While it's true that ev sales have been growing strongly, it's worth noting that this is still relatively low, and we're concerned that the government is taking this step prematurely."