Plug-in Car Grants Is Swaying British Motorists Toward EVs

Electric cars are winning the battle to convince motorists that they are a value-for-money proposition. With just a month passed since the launch of the Plug-in Car Grants in Great Britain, motorists are already being swayed toward green-car ownership. According to new research from the UK’s leading green car guide, TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk, the £5,000 (about $8,000) government grant is enough to convince 40 percent of motorist to buy an electric car or eligible car.

“For many people, electric cars are a bit of a mystery, they are not sure they even really exist, at least in true market capacity anyway. And even when they are sure they are out there, they fear the unknown. It is still a big ask for consumers to buy a vehicle that they are unsure of how it works and how to adapt to using it,” explains the website’s editor, Faye Sunderland.

Despite the fact that more than half of the 524 people polled said they thought it wasn’t enough, Green Car believes that interest will pick up as the year progresses. The first three cars eligible for the grants are the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, smart fortwo Electric Drive (ED) and the Peugeot iON, all on sale in the UK from January 2011.

“The trick for car makers is to persuade customers to come and try their electric models. However, the environmental credentials of EVs won’t be enough for motorists, it will be the potential savings in running costs which will convince many people to make that final leap of faith and buy an electric car,” she adds.