The UK government is about to provide a subsidy on electric motorcycles and scooters to increase their sales. The subsidy will be of upto £1500 (Rs 1.2 lakh).
While subsidies for electric and hybrid cars are provided by most European countries, Asian nations, Canada and most American states, only California so far, includes motorcycles. Motorcycle Industry Association CEO Steve Kenward said, “This opens the door to zero-emission transport to people who have not been able to afford electric cars, which tended to have been a ‘lifestyle choice’. Motorcycles and scooters are an extremely accessible form of electric transport and have the capacity to significantly reduce congestion, since they share all the advantages of riding a regular powered two wheeler. Switching to an electric motorcycle or scooter could result in huge savings for the average commuter, or for businesses which operate fleet vehicles.”
The UK grant will be made available for new road registered electric motorcycles and scooters reaching certain quality criteria, which include having a battery with five-year warranty and a good range. Details of subsidy eligibility are on the OLEV (Office for Low Emission Vehicles) website.
In India, more than a year ago, the government formally launched the FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicles in India) scheme offering incentives on electric bikes of upto Rs 29,000 per bike.
Source - MotorbikeWriter.com
