Source: Xinhua

04-17-2009 09:42

LONDON, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Motorists in Britain will be offered subsidies of up to 5,000 pounds (about 7,450 U.S. dollars) in a government plan to encourage electric or plug-in hybrid cars.

The plan, announced by the British government on Thursday, is part of the government's 250 million pounds plan to promote low carbon transport over the next five years.

The plan includes the projects to provide 20 million pounds for charging points and other necessary infrastructure, which are very limited now.

Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon said that there was huge potential to reduce emissions, with less than 0.1 percent of Britain's 26 million cars now electric.

The available funding would only be for fully electric and plug-in petrol-electric hybrids, but the current commercially available hybrids, such as the Toyota Prius, would not be eligible.

There is a limited range of electric vehicles on the market, and sales have been held back by a number of factors -- they commonly have a limited range of about 40 miles, take about seven hours to charge, and have only two seats.

But the government hopes to target drivers of a new generation of all electric or plug-in petrol-electric cars, which are expected to go on sale in two years' time. (1 U.S. dollar = 0.6711pounds)

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Editor:Qin Yongjing