The Liberal Democrats have released their manifesto for the 2024 general election, outlining their plans to support electric vehicle (EV) adoption and tackle various issues in the motoring industry. One of the key proposals is the reinstatement of the plug-in car grant for electric car buyers. This grant, which was previously discontinued in June 2022, provided EV buyers with financial assistance towards the purchase of a new electric model.
In addition to the grant, the Liberal Democrats are focusing on improving the accessibility and affordability of EV charging infrastructure. They plan to upgrade the National Grid to support the rollout of more EV chargers, including residential on-street points and ultra-fast chargers at service stations. Furthermore, the party aims to reduce the Value Added Tax (VAT) on public charging to just five per cent, aligning it with the VAT cost of charging at home.
By reinstating the plug-in car grant and cutting VAT on public charging, the Liberal Democrats hope to incentivize more private drivers to switch to EVs. These measures could help reduce the overall cost of owning and operating an electric vehicle, making them more accessible to a wider range of consumers.
Apart from their EV-related initiatives, the Liberal Democrats are also addressing other issues in the motoring sector. They plan to allocate more budget and power to local authorities to fix the current pothole problem in the UK. Additionally, the party aims to protect motorists from what they describe as unfair insurance and petrol prices, although specific details on how they intend to achieve this are not provided in the manifesto.
The total cost of the Liberal Democrats’ proposals is estimated to be around £600 million. To fund these initiatives, the party plans to generate additional revenue from levies on big banks, a reform of capital gains tax, a tax on frequent flyers, and a crackdown on tax avoidance schemes. These measures are expected to contribute billions of pounds to the country’s coffers.
The Liberal Democrats’ manifesto comes as the second major party to announce their plans for the 2024 election. Other parties, including the Conservatives, Labour, Reform UK, SNP, and Plaid Cymru, are set to reveal their visions for the nation in the coming days. The focus on EV adoption and motoring reforms in the Liberal Democrats’ manifesto reflects a growing emphasis on sustainable transport and environmental issues in the political landscape.