Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the upfront cost of an electric vehicle is affordable to people on a low income.

Government has committed £2.5 billion since 2020 to support the transition to zero emission vehicles, with funding to offset their higher upfront cost, and to accelerate the rollout of chargepoint infrastructure.

In many cases, electric vehicles (EVs) are already cheaper to own and run than a petrol or diesel equivalent. While EVs do cost more to buy outright today than their petrol/diesel equivalents, the market for more affordable zero emission cars is growing rapidly – with 24 models currently priced under £32,000 compared to 15 just a year ago.