Electric car grant extended

* Government plug-in car grant extended * Fund guaranteed until 2015 * Up to 5000 off an electric car...

Electric car grant extended

The Government has confirmed that the plug-in car grant for electric vehicles will be available until 2015.

Previously, the Government had committed to funding of 900m during the life of this parliament, but with the caveat of an annual review. The latest announcement means that buyers of eligible electric cars can be sure they'll get a discount of up to 5000 on the list price until 2015.

The plug-in car grant entitles buyers to 25% off the cost of an electric car, up to a maximum of 5000. The amount is automatically deducted from the purchase price.

As of December 31, 2011, there had been 892 claims through the scheme, out of a total of 1052 that qualified for it.

The cars currently on sale or due soon that qualify for the grant are:

Citroen C-Zero
Chevrolet Volt
Mitsubishi iMiev
Nissan Leaf
Peugeot iOn
Renault Fluence
Smart Fortwo ED
Tata Vista EV
Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid
Vauxhall Ampera