Call for loan scheme to be extended to boost electric vehicle take up

Loan terms for electric vehicles should be extended from six to nine years to encourage more people to make the switch from petrol and diesel, the Scottish Liberal Democrats have said.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats have called for the extension of a loan scheme for electric vehicles.

The party is calling for the Low Carbon Transport Loan scheme, also known as the electric vehicle loan, to be greatly expanded.

Over the past decade it has provided around 4,500 interest-free loans of up to £28,000, provided by the Energy Savings Trust through funding from Transport Scotland.

Liam McArthur, the Lib Dems' climate spokesman, said extending the terms of the loan could save up to £100 a month for a typical car and encourage greater uptake.

Mr McArthur said: "If the Scottish Government are serious about tackling the climate emergency, then we need to tackle our stubborn transport emissions.

"It's not that people don't want to change; they just don't know how or need help in doing so.

"We need to make EVs accessible for everyone, that's why Scottish Liberal Democrats are proposing to take off the brakes with an expanded loan scheme and longer repayment periods.

"Alongside making sure all new public sector vehicles are electric in future, this is a common-sense way to give Scotland new hope in tackling the climate emergency."

The sale of petrol vehicles will be banned from 2030 meaning that all vehicles will be powered by electricity or another renewable source of energy.

A spokesman for Transport Scotland said: "The Low Carbon Transport Loan is a key element of the Scottish Government's suite of incentives to increase the uptake of zero-emission vehicles.

"Since it launched in 2011, the Low Carbon Transport Loan has provided interest-free loans worth more than £144 million to over 5,700 individuals and businesses across Scotland and is the only loan of its kind in the UK.

"The current repayment period of up to six years offers a good balance between affordability and flexibility for consumers.

"All aspects of the scheme are continuously kept under review by the Scottish Government to ensure it remains effective at helping Scotland's drivers make the transition to EV and that it supports our goal of becoming a net-zero nation by 2045."

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.