MOTORISTS in Bolton are turning green as the number of electric vehicles registered in the area has risen sharply over the past year.
Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) approvals in Bolton totaled 705-276 more late last year than at the end of 2019, according to figures from the Department of Transportation.
These include battery electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell electric vehicles.
Of the additions, 156 were registered with private owners, while 120 went to the addresses of local companies.
Labor said the government must do more to make green cars more affordable for British families.
ULEVs only made up around 0.5 percent of all vehicles registered in Bolton at the end of 2020 – below the UK average of 1.1 percent.
The government has committed to stop selling new gasoline and diesel cars and vans by 2030.
Kerry McCarthy, Shadow Secretary for Green Transportation, said: “As the climate emergency worsens, increases in electric vehicle sales are always welcome.
“We need a clear, long-term government vision to support the UK auto industry, as well as measures to support the sale of electric vehicles to make them affordable for families and to put in place adequate charging infrastructure.”
In Bolton, 337 of the ULEVs registered at the end of the year were battery electric vehicles – defined as zero emissions.
Another 300 were plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that combine an electric motor with a gasoline or diesel engine.
Transportation Secretary Rachel Maclean said there is evidence that more people are moving away from diesel cars as “we are decommissioning and cleaning up the air in our cities”.
She said, “With £ 2.8 billion in government support to boost their uptake, there has never been a better time to switch to an electric vehicle.”
