Member Article

Electric car boost for Milton Keynes

One of Buckinghamshire’s leading retailers of electric cars has seen a spike in sales following the introduction of free parking in Milton Keynes for drivers of zero emission electric vehicles (EV).

Officially launched in July, the new Green Parking Permit scheme enables EV drivers to park for free in any one of 15,000 parking spaces. Since then, Westcroft based dealership, Brayley Renault, has reported a surge in enquiries for the 100% electric Renault ZOE with year on year sales up by 63%.

Set up by the Government to encourage the take-up of electric vehicles, the Plugged-In Places Scheme now consists of more than 220 charging points in Milton Keynes and across the county. A quarter of these are rapid charging stations, enabling a full charge in just 20 minutes. These are marked ‘Electric Vehicle Charging Only’ and motorists do not need to pay to park if their vehicle is plugged-in and charging.

The Council received £9 million funding to further its innovative work to make Milton Keynes one of the most sustainable cities in Europe. The Green Parking Permit scheme is the first proposal to be delivered using Go Ultra Low Cities funding.

Paul Brayley, Managing Director of Brayleys Cars, said:

“Milton Keynes is one of the most forward looking cities in Europe when it comes to environmentally focused transport and infrastructure and there’s no doubt that residents are embracing this. Brayleys continues to see increased growth in electric car sales and this latest free parking scheme complements the range of attractive benefits afforded to motorists who want zero emission driving. Our Renault team in Westcroft has a wealth of knowledge on electric car ownership for both retail and business customers and we expect 2017 to be even busier.”

According to industry analysts, the Government’s Plug-in Car Grant is helping drive EV growth. More than 75,000 electric-capable cars have now been sold through the Plug-in Car Grant since it was introduced in 2011.

The latest iteration of the scheme offers buyers of sub-50g/km models with an EV range of at least 70 miles an allowance of £4,500. Vehicles with emissions between 50-75g/km are eligible for a grant of £2,500 off the car’s list price.

Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that total registrations during September for electric-only vehicles increased by 38% compared with the same month a year earlier. So far this year, cumulative sales are up by 17%.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Blackbird Communications .