U.K. Energy Review Could Offer Incentives for Electric Car Sales

(Bloomberg) -- The U.K. is concluding an almost yearlong assessment of its energy market and policies on Monday, with officials suggesting new incentives could be offered to promote sales of electric cars.

The nation is trying to reach a goal of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and speed the introduction of low-carbon technologies such as electric vehicles, according to a government statement.

Ministers have pledged to end the sale of vehicles powered with gasoline and diesel fuel by 2040 and hope for 70% of new car sales to be ultra-low emission by 2030, the statement says.

The review could lead to automakers offering customers free charging as an incentive to buy an electric car, removing the uncertainty while drivers are on the move.

The U.K. has cut emissions by more than 40% since 1990, Business Minister Kwasi Kwarteng said. “If we are going to meet our net zero obligations, innovation and British ingenuity is going to have to take us further,” he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Hailey Waller in New York at hwaller@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: James Ludden at jludden@bloomberg.net, Steve Geimann, Tony Czuczka

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.