DailyMail: David Cameron and his UK Government could soon travel in electric cars as Downing Street is fitted with charging points
Ministers will soon be driving to official engagements in electric cars while even Downing Street will be fitted with charging points, the Government has announced.
More than 150 electric cars are to be introduced to official Government fleets from this Autumn as ministers seek to “lead by example” and boost public confidence in plug-in vehicles.
The Government Car Service, which provides cars for ministers, and the Department for Transport will be the first to receive the new cars, with every central government fleet eventually to be reviewed.
Departments will be asked to consider which of their existing cars could be replaced with like-for-like electric alternatives when they come up for renewal, with the initial leases to last two years.
Later this year the wider public sector will also be included in the £5 million scheme meaning a further 135 electric cars can be added to council, police force and NHS fleets. The money will also be used to expand the existing network of charging points with some to be installed at Downing Street, suggesting that even the Prime Minister could soon be driving an electric car.
Although no list of suitable electric vehicles has yet been compiled, options are expected to include the Nissan Leaf and Vauxhall Ampera as replacements for ministerial cars, along with the Nissan E-NV200 light van as an alternative to existing works vehicles.
One possible replacement for higher-end vehicles in official fleets, which include Jaguars and Range Rovers, is the Tesla Model S, which went on sale in the UK in May and costs from £49,900 to £68,700.
Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said the eventual aim was to make government fleets 100 per cent electric in future, although he added that “There may be some specific tasks when that’s more difficult or where the vehicle technology isn’t ready yet”.
Central Government departments and their agencies currently have a compbined fleet of some 25,000 cars and vans, with the Ministry of Defence alone accounting for 9,000, the Environment Agency for more than 5,000 and the Ministry of Justice 1,500.
The Government Car Service currently has 85 vehicles which are used by ministers on official business - down from 142 in 2011.
Asked whether the Prime Minister was in line for an electric car, Mr Alexander said: “Clearly where there are heightened security needs there are particular issues in relation to that, which would need to be addressed, but I think that every member of the Government will want to be at the forefront of this.”
The new scheme is the latest attempt by the Government to boost sales of electric vehicles, which have failed to meet an anticipated surge in demand in recent years but are improving fast.
Experts claim the public remains sceptical due to the upfront cost and anxiety about the range of the cars, even though most new models can travel 100 miles before needing to be recharged.
Ministers hope the move will also save money in the long term due to the low running cost of plug-in vehicles, and boost Britain’s status as a leading manufacturer of electric models.
Baroness Kramer, the Transport Minister, said: “The government is going to put its money where its mouth is. We are very committed to the agenda of ultra low emission vehicles.”
Oliver Letwin, the Cabinet Office minister, added: "We are extremely anxious to use the Government's purchasing power to increase the chances that the British public as a whole will take up electric vehicles.
"As part of that, after some investigation, we have actually managed to establish a team to put proper charging points up and down Downing Street so that we can also run electric vehicles in Downing Street itself."
Ministers will soon be driving to official engagements in electric cars while even Downing Street will be fitted with charging points, the Government has announced.
More than 150 electric cars are to be introduced to official Government fleets from this Autumn as ministers seek to “lead by example” and boost public confidence in plug-in vehicles.
The Government Car Service, which provides cars for ministers, and the Department for Transport will be the first to receive the new cars, with every central government fleet eventually to be reviewed.
Departments will be asked to consider which of their existing cars could be replaced with like-for-like electric alternatives when they come up for renewal, with the initial leases to last two years.
Later this year the wider public sector will also be included in the £5 million scheme meaning a further 135 electric cars can be added to council, police force and NHS fleets. The money will also be used to expand the existing network of charging points with some to be installed at Downing Street, suggesting that even the Prime Minister could soon be driving an electric car.
Although no list of suitable electric vehicles has yet been compiled, options are expected to include the Nissan Leaf and Vauxhall Ampera as replacements for ministerial cars, along with the Nissan E-NV200 light van as an alternative to existing works vehicles.
One possible replacement for higher-end vehicles in official fleets, which include Jaguars and Range Rovers, is the Tesla Model S, which went on sale in the UK in May and costs from £49,900 to £68,700.
Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said the eventual aim was to make government fleets 100 per cent electric in future, although he added that “There may be some specific tasks when that’s more difficult or where the vehicle technology isn’t ready yet”.
Central Government departments and their agencies currently have a compbined fleet of some 25,000 cars and vans, with the Ministry of Defence alone accounting for 9,000, the Environment Agency for more than 5,000 and the Ministry of Justice 1,500.
The Government Car Service currently has 85 vehicles which are used by ministers on official business - down from 142 in 2011.
Asked whether the Prime Minister was in line for an electric car, Mr Alexander said: “Clearly where there are heightened security needs there are particular issues in relation to that, which would need to be addressed, but I think that every member of the Government will want to be at the forefront of this.”
The new scheme is the latest attempt by the Government to boost sales of electric vehicles, which have failed to meet an anticipated surge in demand in recent years but are improving fast.
Experts claim the public remains sceptical due to the upfront cost and anxiety about the range of the cars, even though most new models can travel 100 miles before needing to be recharged.
Ministers hope the move will also save money in the long term due to the low running cost of plug-in vehicles, and boost Britain’s status as a leading manufacturer of electric models.
Baroness Kramer, the Transport Minister, said: “The government is going to put its money where its mouth is. We are very committed to the agenda of ultra low emission vehicles.”
Oliver Letwin, the Cabinet Office minister, added: "We are extremely anxious to use the Government's purchasing power to increase the chances that the British public as a whole will take up electric vehicles.
"As part of that, after some investigation, we have actually managed to establish a team to put proper charging points up and down Downing Street so that we can also run electric vehicles in Downing Street itself."
