Government

Ford is aiming to invest up to £1.5 billion in new, affordable, volume-produced low CO2 technologies at its four UK facilities over the next five years after securing a £360 million Government loan guarantee.

Alistair Darling announced in today's Pre-Budget Report that electric cars will be exempt from company car tax from April 2010 for five years.

The government has announced its support for the New Automotive Innovation and Growth Team's (NAIGT) recommendations to maximise the opportunities presented by the transition to a low carbon agenda.

The Government has today announced an extension to the scrappage scheme.

The Government has published its ‘Low carbon transport: a greener future’ strategy which sets out the policies and proposals for reducing transport sector emissions through to 2022.

Figures released today show that more than 35,000 orders for new cars have been taken since the announcement of the £2000 scrappage subsidy two weeks ago.

Today’s Budget introduced a scrappage incentive scheme to offer motorists £2000 to trade in their old car (or van) for a new one. However the £2000 can be used for any new car, regardless of its emissions.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has outlined a package of government support for the UK car industry potentially worth up to £2.3bn.

The pre-Budget report has confirmed that fuel duty will increase by 2p per litre, VAT will be cut from 17.5% to 15%, and plans have been shelved for a retrospective increase in road tax for cars registered since March 2001.

Changes announced in the last Budget meant that from 2009, all cars that had been on the road since 2001 would face rises in Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), but it now appears likely that next week’s Pre-Budget Report will announce that the retrospective emissions-based tax will be postponed.