Electric car owners in Milton Keynes will be the first to be able to park for free anywhere in the city as part of a new incentive package to tempt drivers towards eco-friendly vehicles.
The incentive is part of the new Green Parking Permit for electric and some hybrid vehicle owners, the first step in a new government plan to transform four cities into ‘Go Ultra Low Cities’.
Milton Keynes will be the first to benefit from the Permit, with Bristol, London and Nottingham to follow later in the year as part of a £40 million investment aimed at reducing pollution.
The Permit, which is available for free to the owners of low-emissions cars, allows access to more than 15,000 parking spaces and also lets drivers access bus lanes to ease congestion.
It applies to any vehicle that produces under 75g/km of CO2 and which can cover at least ten miles in electric mode alone, meaning it even includes cars from the Nissan LEAF to the Porsche 918 Spyder.
Even supercars will benefit
The announcement comes in the wake of Ecotricity confirming earlier this month that it will no longer allow electric car owners to charge their vehicles for free at its 300 charging points.
Ecotricity has said that the rapid-chargers at various service stations around the country will now cost £5 to use for 20 minutes, whereas previously they were free for drivers to use.
However, the government’s new incentives will see more charging locations built in Milton Keynes at popular locations like supermarkets, as well as several in residential areas around the city.
Poppy Welch, head of government campaign group Go Ultra Low, said: “This announcement marks the beginning of a new era for the city as it embraces ultra-low emission motoring.”
The other cities in the Go Ultra Low Cities scheme will also benefit from additional charging points, along with the same parking discounts and traffic-dodging advantages as Milton Keynes.
