Hybrid Cars

HC Deb 08 March 2004 vol 418 c1242W

Mr. Paul Marsden

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many hybrid petrol/electric cars were sold in the United Kingdom in each year since 1997. [159314]

Mr. Jamieson

The following table, based on vehicle registration data, sets out the number of hybrid electric cars sold since 2001—the earliest year for which this data is available.

	Number of cars sold
2001	568
2002	281
2003	373

The Government support the take-up of clean, low carbon vehicles, including hybrid electric vehicles, primarily through purchase grants and fiscal incentives, including the CO₂-linked graduated Vehicle Excise Duty and Company Car Tax systems. New hybrid electric models have recently been launched, and manufacturers are predicting total sales in excess of 2,000 vehicles for 2004.