Drivers could receive up to £5,000 to subsidise the purchase of an electric car under a new £250 million Government scheme designed to promote environmentally-friendly transport.
The plans, due to come into force in 2011 for five years, are also aimed at boosting the green technology sector as Britain comes out of recession.
But opposition politicians, car groups and environmental groups dismissed the proposals as a gimmick, warning that electric cars would be expensive and impractical without a much more developed support system, including a national recharging network.
Transport and environmental groups welcomed the move but insisted the Government would need to work very hard on the details of such a plan.
The government remained silent on a separate plan being pushed by industry lobbyists to pay consumers £2,000 to scrap old cars and buy new models. The proposal, put forward by the business department, is the subject of Treasury concerns about its cost. An announcement is expected next week in the Budget.
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