The motor retail sector has given a blended reception to the Finances with SMMT CEO Mike Hawes lambasting the absence of measures to spice up EV gross sales amongst retail consumers.
“The shortage of substantive measures to assist the brand new automobile market – specifically for electrified automobiles – is vastly disappointing.
“We welcome the extension of the Plug-in Van Grant and company car tax benefits, but these alone cannot drive the growth in demand needed,” he stated.
James Courtroom, CEO of EVA England, stated: “It is great to see the Chancellor backing electric vehicles in her Budget, with both an extension to the company car tax and changes to VED.”
John Cassidy, managing director of gross sales at Shut Brothers Motor Finance, stated: “It’s constructive to see that the Authorities has taken steps to deal with issues surrounding the shortage of electrical automobile (EV) incentives, with over £200 million to be invested in 2025-26 to speed up EV chargepoint rollout.
“Private demand is waning as the initial costs of EVs, poor charging infrastructure and fears over rising electricity bills puts prospective buyers off. We’ve seen manufacturers backtrack on their EV plans, and the absence of any incentives up until now provided little reason for buyers to make the switch.”