The move has been funded by the Transport Scotland agency, and a total of £2.5m in funding is available for both private and business purchases.
The initiative will be available until 31st March 2016, and allows a loan of up to £50,000 for private purchases, or £100,000 for businesses.
The move supports the government’s plans to have a carbon-free transport system by 2050. Other initiatives to increase ULEV ownership include:
- Rapid charging points at 50-mile intervals across Scotland
- Electric car sharing support network
- Free-to-access charging points from ChargePlace Scotland
- 100% grants for a domestic wallbox
- UK Plug-in Car Grant
It is hoped that the mass changeover to electric vehicles will help the country to achieve climate change targets and improve local air quality.
Across the border, the government has also been taking steps to encourage electric vehicle ownership with an ‘electric highway’ concept.
Off road trials will be taking place later this year to test out a new technology, which will charge electric vehicles on the road. This will allow for long-distance travel without the range anxiety associated with EVs.
To trial this, vehicles will be fitted with wireless technology and the ground underneath will replicate motorway conditions.
The trials will last for 18 months and a full report will be issued then.
In the meantime, the government has shown commitment to its Road Investment Strategy by pledging to install plug-in charging points every 20 miles on the motorway network.
These initiatives make changing to an all-green fleet an attractive proposition for fleet managers in Scotland and England.
