UK may get £2,000 car scrapping scheme, partially funded by automakers
Government officials in the United Kingdom are widely expected to launch a vehicle scrapping scheme modeled after the successful German program, which has boosted sales in Europe's largest market by over 20 percent in each of the two months it's been available. Details of the UK program are still sketchy, with some outlets like the Times of London and the BBC suggesting that the scrapping scheme will be included in the government's April 22nd budget. The Telegraph, however, reports that the program has been rejected.
According to the Financial Times, automakers may be asked to provide half of the £2,000 that will be offered to consumers to turn in vehicles that are at least nine years old. It's not yet clear what vehicles would qualify for the subsidy, as 80 percent of all new cars sold in the UK are from foreign automakers.
Here in the United States, a "Cash for Clunkers" plan is currently being reviewed in Congress that would offer up to $5,000 to exchange a vehicle at least eight years old for a new, more fuel efficient model.
[Source: Detroit News, Financial Times]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Woodenbee 3:48PM (4/13/2009)
this plan could be great if implemented sensibly, of course dummies always leap on dumb assumptions about it, like they'll only be crushing classic cars, no, any pile of junk in your yard will qualify, no, and it'll be abused by poor people, heaven forbid, no again. Anyway now we've cleared that up can we please move forward because lets face it basically everything consumers, markets, regulators and suppliers do currently in the US is wrong headed and unsustainable, due to decades of corrupt lawmaking, with few exceptions, TOMS shoes is cool, why cant each successful business come up with a plan that includes being part of a solution not just the source of many problems, for instance as in the post, the UK carmakers have to come up with half the new car subsidy. Why can't Walmart and malls, car dealerships, road building contractors, energy companies, Pharmacy makers, Chemical companies, weapons makers all be forced to contribute to solutions to the problems their activities create for us all???? why not indeed!!!!!!!!! wouldn't it be fair if every time a crazy gun owner shot up a daycare that the gun store owner that sold him the gun had to send flowers, that might make them reconsider their life choices.
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Kirk Crawford 5:59PM (4/13/2009)
My car is 41 years old. A Triumph Spitfire (Same make as your photo, but different model). I still get 24 mpg in this car. What is the point of scrapping it for a new car that won't get much better. At least according to the CAFE.
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