Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon has announced plans for a £10 million project intended to encourage the development of electric cars in the UK.
Car manufacturers are invited to bid for funding to run electric car and ‘ultra-low carbon vehicle’ demonstration projects in UK cities. Around 100 electric cars will be provided to various towns and cities.
Hoon also said that up to £20 million has already made available to encourage UK research into improving the viability of electric cars, with the Government hoping that up to 10,000 new British jobs will be created through the development of alternative technologies.
Despite the announcement, Britain is still lagging behind in the development of an electric vehicle infrastructure, with Israel and Denmark already pressing ahead with bigger pilot schemes and the creation of nation-wide recharging points.
Last week the British Government acknowledged that widespread use of electric cars in the UK will require dramatic upgrades to the national electricity generation and distribution system.
