Brayleys has experienced a year on year increase of 330% in buyers of the 100% electric models from its Milton Keynes Renault showroom.

One of eight national pilot projects set up by the Government to explore and encourage the take-up of electric vehicles, Milton Keynes’ Plugged-In Places Scheme has helped to introduce more than 200 charging points across the county and has helped to boost sales at the franchise at Westcroft, Milton Keynes.

A quarter of the charge points supported by the scheme are rapid charging stations, enabling a full charge in just 20 minutes.

A number of local rail stations have also installed charging points and offer discounted parking fees for electric vehicles.  

Paul Brayley, managing director of Brayleys Cars, said: “As the charging infrastructure and battery technology continues to improve, the benefits of owning a zero-emission electric car are clear to see, which is why our Renault dealership in Westcroft has seen significant growth in enquiries and sales.

“The Brayleys team has a wealth of knowledge on the benefits of electric car and van ownership for both retail and business customers and we expect this trend to continue, helped by the recent launch of the new Electric Vehicle Experience Centre in Milton Keynes to boost awareness.”

Figures published by The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that in the first half of 2017, pure electric vehicle registrations have increased by almost 80% compared with the same period last year.

Statistics from the SMMT also showed that the market share of ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) in the UK, to include all-electric cars, increased by a fifth during January, to reach a record 4.2% of all new registrations in a single month, beating the previous high of 3.6% in November last year.

Motorists purchasing a qualifying ultra-low emission vehicle (ULEV) can receive a Government grant of £4,500, following an extension to the Government’s plug-in car grant scheme until March 2018.