Whether it is an insightful move to warmly welcome a carbon saving solution that will, no doubt, make good use of all the ‘clean’ electricity that the Government plans to be generating by 2020, or whether it is a sure reaction to the rapid developments that have taken place for the electric car market over recent years – it is hard to tell. But one thing is for certain: it’s about time!

The evolution of the electric car has been a bit of a lightening bolt, in a number of ways. From its early inception, motorists have never exactly taken the reality of owning and using an electric car instead of their petrol motor as something that will happen. There have been flashes of excitement illuminating patches of motoring for the future, but that has always occured with a dream-like quality. “The car of the future” found it very difficult to exist today for the here-and-now user.

This has much to do with the poor efficiency of past electric cars, with engineers being lightyears off of lining up nose-to-nose with a petrol engine.

The model itself has had to endure decades of broken promises and long nights spent by the drawing board. But today, “the car of the future” can proudly rev its engine in glee and take its starting position in the climate race as, possibly, a key to unlock one solution to help tackle global warming.

The Department for Travel has launched an initiative to help support and float the electric car market as a whole. Now that the technology and available infrastructure is attainable for Britons, the Government is clear and proactive in its support for ‘switchers’.

Drivers who switch to an electric car will receive a government grant of up to £5,000. The Department for Transport will provide grants worth a maximum of 25 per cent of the price of fully electric cars and plug-in hybrids.

Plans to develop a supporting electric-engine infrastructure for motorists have also got underway. Around £8 million of investments will charge areas such as London, Milton Keynes and the North East with the installation of 11,000 charging points – estimated to reach completion by the end of 2013.

The Government begin their development next year with the installation of 2,000 points nationwide. Fast-charging points will also be fitted in selected car parks, railway stations and supermarkets, which allow electric car drivers to re-charge their batteries to 80 per cent of capacity in just 20 minutes.

Other benefits for electric-car drivers include free electricity and parking until 2013 in Milton Keynes, and exemption from the London congestion charge.

There are currently also rumours of international car manufacturer Nissan building a factory in Sunderland that will specialise in lithium-ion car batteries.

Despite such advances, critics remain conscious of the ways in which the cars will receive their electricity. At present the national grid will supply the electric charging points from the current pool format – which turns these green incentives a paler shade of grey.