MORE motorists in Bradford are switching to greener electric vehicles, but the uptake of low emission vehicles is still less than half the national average.

The number of ultra-low emission vehicles registered in the district rose by 50 per cent last year, from 805 in 2019 to 1,240.

However green vehicles - battery electric, fuel cell electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles - still only account for 0.5 per cent of vehicles on the district’s roads, less than half the national average which stands at 1.1 per cent.

The Department of Transport has said however a vehicle’s registered address doesn’t necessarily reflect where it’s located, particularly for cars owned by leasing or rental firms.

Labour has criticised the Government for cutting subsidies on electric vehicles, while the Government has welcomed the increase in electric vehicle uptake.

What the figures do show is more people are switching to vehicles which are more environmentally friendly and cheaper to run, but there are still a number of factors holding people back from making the switch to electric.

Expensive initial outlay, worries over range, and time taken to refuel are some of the biggest concerns, but Bradford dealership Clive Brook Volvo is seeking to address these fears.

Owner Clive Brook said: “Investing in anything unfamiliar can be a daunting experience, especially something as integral and important to everyday life as a car.

“Plug-in hybrid cars are highly efficient and are therefore a good choice when it comes to saving money long-term.

“Simple and speedy charging means fewer trips to the petrol station, too, saving time as well as money. For most people, the electricity to charge the car costs significantly less than the fuel to drive the equivalent electric-only mileage.

“People often say that one of the biggest barriers to purchasing a hybrid car is that they’ve heard it takes days to charge – which really isn’t the case.

“To completely recharge the hybrid system’s battery takes as little as three hours using a fast charger, or from four hours via a domestic three-pin plug socket.”

Across the Bradford district there is now a sizeable network of public charging points, with almost 30 that are free to use.

The Government has said it will ban the sale of new fossil fuel cars and vans by 2030 to encourage the move to electric, but in March it cut the grants for buying an electric car by £500 to £2,500, and also dropped the cap on eligible cars from £50,000 to £35,000.

Labour has accused the Government of “doing all it can to stifle progress by slashing subsidies” and “failing to set out a roadmap to smoothly transition away from petrol and diesel vehicles.”

Transport Minister Rachel Maclean said: “This is proof that more people are moving away from diesel cars, as we build back greener and clean up the air in our towns and cities.”

She added that “with £2.8 billion of government support to encourage their take-up, there has never been a better time to switch to an electric vehicle,” - apart from three months ago before subsidies were slashed.

And with the cheapest electric car currently on the market - the Volkswagen ID.3 Pure - coming in at £25,000 - the average annual salary in Bradford, owning an electric car still remains a distant dream for many in the district.