Bottom drops out of UK all-elec car market
UK all-electric car sales halve in 2008The UK has seen a substantial drop in sales of all-electric cars in 2008.
Cleangreencars.co.uk reports sales dropped 58 per cent year-on-year, from 374 in 2007 to just 156.
Pundits attribute the drop to a mix of political and market factors. Increasingly viable alternatives to still-esoteric all-electric brands like GoinGreen and NICE coming on stream from mainstream car makers.
Mitsubishi, Mini and Smart have all announced the pending arrival of all-electric product, giving early adopters cause to hold off. This was doubtless a major contributor to NICE's recent landing in the hands of administrators.
Incoming London Lord Mayor Boris Johnson's ditching of predecessor Ken Livingstone's proposals to exempt sub-120 g/km CO2 cars from the city congestion charge.
The city has also rescinded the parking charge exemption given to electric cars, stripping owners of a concession worth up to £4000 ($9700) a year.
And with some models classified as quadricycles and therefore exempt from crash testing, they've also received a bad rap from media like Top Gear for their safety and performance credentials.
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