A DIESEL car scrappage scheme could soon see Brits earn up to ã8,500 for their clapped-out old vehicles.
Anyone in the UK with a diesel car or van more than 10 years old is likely to be eligible to get whopping discounts off a low-emission replacement.
The Government is keen to rid Britainââ¬â¢s roads of diesel cars by 2030 and officials are considering copying an extremely successful French scheme, where drivers of the worst polluting cars are effectively handed up to ââ¬10,000 to switch to a new, super-clean model. More than 100,000 people in France now drive all-electric cars, which are now more popular in the country than hybrids.
Officials from the Departments for Transport and the Environment are in advanced talks about the plan, which could be announced by Chancellor Philip Hammond as soon as the Budget on March 22.
Ministers are conscious that successive governments encouraged drivers to buy diesel until recently, wrongly believing they were better for the environment. As a result, the new scheme will incentivise diesel drivers to switch, rather than punish them.
It follows a hugely successful scrappage scheme for old cars introduced in 2009 which saw 300,000 drivers replace their car in the first year. Under that programme, designed to boost the car industry in the wake of the recession, motorists were given ã1,000 from the Government - matched by car manufacturers - to change their vehicle. It boosted new car sales by as much as 26%.
The new scheme would be far more ambitious by seeking to replace the most-polluting cars in Britain with the very cleanest, with punchy discounts to match.
Currently drivers buying an electric vehicle in the UK can get a ã4,500 contribution towards the cost.
But it is thought the new scheme is likely to be based closely on the successful French pilot, which launched a year ago. Under that system drivers receive ã3,300 (ââ¬4,000) for handing in an old diesel and buying a new, clean vehicle.
They then receive up to a purchase bonus of up to ã5,200 (ââ¬6,000) on the new car, depending on how environmentally friendly it is.
Talks have already taken place with the UK Treasury, which will finance the scheme, and a pilot is expected to focus on areas of Britain where pollution is worst, before a nationwide rollout.
News of the diesel scrappage plans comes as it emerged just 78,778 diesel cars were sold in January, 4.3 per cent less than last year.
Over the same period sales of electric cars jumped by 19.9%, with 7,270 electric cars and hybrids sold in January.
For the first time, ââ¬Åalternatively fuelledââ¬Â vehicles now account for more than 4 per cent of cars on the road, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary and a close ally of Prime Minister Theresa May, is believed to support the radical initiative.
He said: "The irony is that a decade ago, because of concerns about carbon emissions there was a drive towards diesel... that we now know has a different set of negative effects.
ââ¬ÅThe Department for the Environment is currently preparing, and will launch shortly, our strategy to take tackling the diesel problem to the next level.ââ¬Â
He added: ââ¬ÅThere is no question that in the future we are going to have to move to lower-emission vehicles. We need to do it soon.
ââ¬ÅI would like to see a migration of people away from current technologies to lower-emission technologies. We are providing incentives to do that now and we will be doing more in the months ahead."
A Treasury spokesman said: "The Government continues to keep all taxes under review and any changes are announced at fiscal events.ââ¬Â
Express.co.uk has contacted the Department of Transport for comment.
