AUTONEWS

British end incentives to hybrids

The UK Government, having watched over 160,000 electric or electrified vehicles during the last seven years, 100,000 of which were 100% electric, has decided that it is time to suspend the aid to plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). And even exclusively electric cars, which have so far received 4,500 pounds (£ 5,130), will enjoy only 3,500 pounds (£ 4,000) to a degree that could reduce the growing public interest in this class of vehicles , more environmentally friendly but still more expensive than their rivals that burn fossil fuels.According to a government spokesman, the decision to remove the PHEV, concerns the desire to favor only 100% electric, whether battery-powered or hydrogen fuel cell. Not realizing, however, how the cut of 1,000 pounds in the aid can help the competitiveness of models that emit zero pollutants while moving.Looking closely at the now approved law, PHEVs are divided into three categories, with 1 being reserved for models that emit less than 50g of CO2 per 100 km, but which guarantee a range of 70 miles (about 113 km). does not include any vehicle on the market at the moment. Below this category appears the 2, reserved for the most common PHEVs, those that emit 50g and travel between 16 and 113 km, for category 3 to be specific of the vehicles that emit 75g of CO2 and are able to cover 32 km.However, it is precisely categories 2 and 3 which are now excluded from government aid. And, since there are no category 1 vehicles, they end up being out of all the PHEV subsidies on the market. On the way, the British authorities announced £ 2 million to promote emission reductions in the "last mile", the last stretch of the freight route. As an example, e-cargo bicycles will benefit from a 20% subsidy of their value, up to 5,000 pounds.The new measure that deters PHEVs will enter into force on 9 November, which has led to a massive pilgrimage of potential customers to dealers in an attempt to purchase the latest hybrids with aid.