Fiat calls for plug-in grant to drive private electric car sales

Stellantis manufacturer Fiat is calling on the Government to reinstate the plug-in car grant to help boost electric vehicle (EV) sales to retail customers.

Ministers pulled the plug-in car grant (PiCG), which was worth up to £1,500 off an EV, in June, 2022. 

The Government said it instead wanted to focus funding on electric commercial vehicles.

However, with fully electric cars accounting for just 8.8% of private registrations last year, compared to more than a third (34%) of true fleet sales, Fiat has said more needs to be done for the retail market.

Fiat UK managing director, Damien Dally, said: “More needs to be done. Consumers need further support to have a reason to make the switch to electric.”

The manufacturer’s call comes in the wake of a House of Lords environment and climate change committee report, published earlier this month, which called for help to boost private sales  

Dally added: “The good news is the UK has now passed the one million electric vehicles landmark. 

“However, the electric car market in this country is in real jeopardy. Private sales, as opposed to business and fleets, are softening and that’s a trend that needs a collective effort to reverse.

“With the Spring Budget just around the corner, we are urging the Government to reintroduce incentives for consumers or face stifling, or even undoing, all the good work achieved to date and risking endangering net zero climate targets.

“We’re doing our bit, but there’s only so far we can go.”

Last June, Fiat launched its own electric car grant, 12 months after the Government removed any financial incentives to encourage retail customers to go electric.