Ultra low emission vehicle (ULEV) sales have grown at a rate of 256% so far this year with 14,586 new vehicles registered between January to June – some ten thousand more than at this time last year.

And, after months of speculation and uncertainty, the Government has today announced that the current Plug-in Car Grant will continue until at least February 2016, retaining the existing grant levels which provide up to £5,000 off the cost of a new vehicle. The Government is expected to announce the details of the Plug in Van Grant separately but it is not expected to deteriorate from current levels.

This will of course be welcome news to the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, to support his new scheme to make ULEVs ‘the preferred option in London for public transport, fleets and private vehicle owners’ – which is more ambitious than those simple words might suggest. Currently, only 0.8 per cent of London’s new cars qualify for ultra-low status by emitting less than 75 grams of carbon dioxide for every kilometre they travel.

Further commitment from the Government to ULEV’s will be announced following the Autumn Spending Review expected in November when the Government will announce plans to ensure the UK is a ‘world leader in ultra-low emission technology’.

Guest blog by Judith Eadie, Green Fleet’s EV Champion 2014.