If you live in the UK and have been considering an electric motorcycle or scooter, hold off for a few more months, because beginning this summer the government will begin offering up to £1,500 (around $2,300) towards the purchase of an electric two-wheeler.
The UK has set aside £7.5 million to increase the adoption of electric motorcycles and scooters between now and 2020, with Gizmag reporting that it could subsidize up to 5,000 electric vehicles.
Since 2011, the UK government would give up to £5,000 (around $7,600) towards the purchase plug-in cars, similar to the $7,500 tax rebate the U.S. gives buyers of qualified vehicles. However, the U.S. has never seriously considered a motorcycle or scooter subsidy.
The UK’s decisions to finally begin offering incentives for two-wheelers came after a considerably lobbying effort by the Motor Cycle Industry Association, along with discussions with BMW, Suzuki, Harley-Davidson, and Mahindra.
The rationale for the incentive is two-fold: the UK government obviously wants to get more EVs on the road, but more importantly, it recognizes that motorcycles and scooters take up far less room on the country’s notoriously cramped, congested urban roads. Naturally, they’re smaller size and ability to lane-split makes them particularly appealing to city dwellers, and obviously, they need far less space to park.
If the program is a success, it could lay the groundwork for a state or federal incentive program here in the U.S., which would be nicely timed with the next wave of electric motorcycles coming out in the next year.