The UK government has announced that the current Plug-in Car Grant scheme, which offers rebates of up to £5,000 ($7,800) to EV buyers, will be extended until at least February 2016.

The government previously said that the grant program would be reevaluated once 50,000 plug-in vehicles had been sold, a milestone that is now expected to be reached by November. Plug-in sales have taken off in the UK this year – in the first six months of 2015, more units have been sold than in all of 2014.

An additional £200 million ($311 million) has been budgeted to continue the program until February. What happens after that is expected to be decided by the Government Spending Review in November.

“I’m pleased to announce today that the government is maintaining the current levels of grant, even as we move past the milestone of 50,000 vehicles,” said Transport Minister Andrew Jones. “The UK is now the fastest growing market for electric vehicles in Europe. We will continue to invest to help make this technology affordable to everyone and to secure the UK’s position as a global leader.”

Source: Green Car Congress
Image: Nicolas Raymond