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LEAF- five thousand reasons to be cheerful 03.09.2010 09:00:00

 

Some fantastic news just in for all you private and business drivers with an eye on the Nissan LEAF – the government has confirmed that a £5,000 incentive towards the cost of the award-winning electric car will be available from next year.

The guarantee ends a brief period of uncertainty and means the zero-emissions LEAF*, which will be available for pre-order from September, will cost just £23,990 including the new incentive and VAT at the 2011 rate of 20%, making it a financially viable alternative to conventional petrol and diesel-powered cars.

There will be a fund of £43 million available, which equates to 8,600 discounted electric vehicles. The incentives come into play from January next year, just two months before the LEAF goes on sale in the UK in March.  

Chris Huhne, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, said: “Electric and low carbon cars are fun to drive and essential to meet our climate targets. That’s why we’ll need a massive increase in the number of electric and clean green cars on our roads. Because this is new technology the government needs to step in to kick-start the market, which is why this initiative is vital.”

Also this month, the LEAF won the coveted Special Award, which is given in recognition of the best new innovation in the motor industry, at the 2010 Auto Express New Car Awards.

Take a look inside the LEAF>>

* Relates to CO2 emissions of LEAF whilst being driven.