BMW has reaffirmed its commitment to Go Ultra Low, the campaign to increase awareness of ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) among British car buyers.
BMW is joined by Audi, Mitsubishi and Volkswagen, Nissan, Renault and Toyota in working with government to raise awareness of the benefits of ULEVs – including low running costs and government incentives.
Between them, the seven Go Ultra Low members boast 15 ULEVs across a wide variety of model sizes and performance attributes, from family cars and vans, to SUVs and high performance sports cars. This broader scope of products has increased the appeal of ULEVs to more buyers, and increased uptake.
According to figures from the SMMT (the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders), ULEV registrations in 2014 grew by more than 300% to 14,518 cars, as drivers embraced the variety of models on offer; the enjoyable driving experience; and cheaper driving costs associated with ULEV ownership. BMW’s first-ever electric vehicle, the BMW i3, launched to critical acclaim in Nov 2013 and was voted UK Car of the Year. To date, BMW has sold 1,859 i3s in the UK.
With pure-electric vehicles able to travel around 100 miles on a single charge and other plug-in ULEVs boasting ranges of up to 700 miles, these efficient cars are a viable, low-cost option for millions of motorists across the country.
As well as tax benefits, government currently offers up to £5,000 of the price of ULEVs and the cost of driving them is as little as 2p per mile, compared to at least 10p per mile for a typical petrol or diesel car.
The Go Ultra Low campaign is the first of its kind, bringing together the Department for Transport, the Office for Low Emission Vehicles, SMMT and the consortium of seven car manufacturers.
