Electric-car buzz despite dud sales

COUNCIL chiefs remain positive on the future of electric cars — despite meagre UK sales figures.

The Department for Transport has revealed there are fewer electric cars on the roads — 2,149 — in the UK than there are charging points (2,500).

Oldham will soon become a pioneer for the development of the greener form of transport. A new charging hub and showroom in Hollinwood will transform the former Roxy Cinema site into a one-stop shop for electric vehicles — the first of its kind in the country.

Oldham Council agreed a report last month recommending a long-term lease be awarded to the Manchester Electric Car Company (MECC) for the development, scheduled to open this summer.

Five town-centre charging points for drivers to top-up their vehicles are also proposed.

With the Government providing a provision of around £300m to support consumer incentives until the next election and a “plug-in car” grant — up to £5,000, or 25 per cent of the purchase price, the uptake by the public is still extremely low, mainly because electric cars cost up to double that of their normally-powered equivalents.

Although cleaner and cheaper to run than petrol cars —it currently costs only £2 for a 100-mile journey — the range of an electric vehicle with a fully-charged battery which could take up to eight hours to recharge is around 100 miles.