Photo credit: 38 Degrees
If you’re thinking about driving a new car under a contract hire or car lease agreement then a new government campaign is urging you to consider an ultra-low emission vehicle. The Deputy Prime Minister has teamed up with the UK car industry to launch the ‘Go Ultra Low’ initiative which aims to get more drivers to consider low emission vehicles when choosing their next car leasing deal.
The initiative will provide motorists with all the information they need ahead of choosing a low emission vehicle. Read on to find out more about the campaign and this type of car…
Car leasing customers encouraged to consider a low emission car
Nick Clegg has joined some of the car industry’s biggest names to launch ‘Go Ultra Low‘, a year-long awareness campaign. The aim of the initiative is to help motorists understand the benefits, cost savings and capabilities of the range of ultra-low emission vehicles on the market.
BMW, Nissan, Renault, Toyota and Vauxhall have backed the campaign, which aims to prompt car buyers to consider the benefits of pure electric, plug-in hybrid and extended-range vehicles. A new website provides information about their low running costs and the locations of the thousands of accessible charging points across the UK.
In the last three years alone, almost 20 electric and plug-in cars and vans have been launched in the UK. Considering the average UK journey being less than 50 miles, the ‘Go Ultra Low’ campaign will encourage car leasing and contract hire customers to opt for cars with either zero, or less than 75g/km of CO2 emissions.
Mike Hawes, Chief Executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said: “Some of the country’s leading automotive brands are pooling resources with government to encourage more car buyers to consider going ultra-low. We want the ‘Go Ultra Low’ campaign to help the public understand how these new cars work, their benefits and capabilities, and how they could be a perfect fit for their personal, business or fleet needs.”
As well as a brand new website, the campaign will see national print advertising, a radio advertising campaign, online community campaigns and fleet partnerships throughout 2014. The government is also backing the scheme with investment, as we see next.
Government commits £9 million to low emission initiative
To support the existing charging network, the government has announced a £9.3m investment in additional infrastructure. The investment includes:
- £5.8 million for more than 140 new rapid charge points that can fully recharge an ultra low emission vehicle in 30 minutes. These will be in towns and on major roads and will create a UK-wide network of around 500 rapid charge points
- £600,000 for 80 more charge points at railway station car parks, making it easier for commuters and other rail users to cut the environmental impact of their whole journey
- Grants of £2.9 million awarded to public sector organisations to install more than 450 charge points on their own estate for their staff, fleets and visitors. Organisations including the Ministry of Defence, several NHS trusts and two of the devolved administrations (Scotland and Northern Ireland) will benefit
The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg MP, said, “Electric cars are one of the most promising of our green industries and we want to secure the UK’s position as a global leader in both the production and adoption of these vehicles.
“The extremely low running costs of these cars help drivers save money and we are allocating more than £9 million to boost charge points across the country to help drivers to go green. This means we can lower UK emissions and create high-tech engineering and manufacturing jobs to boost our economy.”