Car Salvage

The coalition government has been accused of shying away from investment that is vital to the development of greener car technology by a leading motor expert.

Ben Lane, managing director of WhatGreenCar, claimed that the government had back-tracked from what it had initially committed for the cause of manufacturing vehicles which have a lower rate of carbon emissions.

He said: "I am disappointed that the coalition is only guaranteeing £43 million for consumer grants, when the original announcement was for £230 million."

"The original amount, which would have subsided over 40,000 vehicles, was a highly significant game-changer."

His comments follow in the wake of announcement made by the Department for Transport that it would part-fund purchases of greener vehicles in order to boost the uptake of newer environmentally-friendly technology.

The government will be providing a grant of up to as much as £5,000 to motorists who are looking to buy either an all-electric car, or a plug-in hybrid vehicle or even one that is powered by hydrogen.