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Ford offers up to £7,000 off a new vehicle under UK car and van scrappage scheme

Consumers could be offered up to £7,000 off the cost of a new vehicle under Ford’s scrappage scheme (Tony Margiocchi/Barcroft Images via Getty Images)
Consumers could be offered up to £7,000 off the cost of a new vehicle under Ford’s scrappage scheme (Tony Margiocchi/Barcroft Images via Getty Images)

Automotive giant Ford has become the latest car company to offer cash incentives to trade in your old motor.

Its car and van scrappage scheme will tempt customers with at least £2,000 and up to £7,000 to swap their old vehicle for a new Ford.

Unlike rivals BMW and Mercedes, Ford has not limited the scheme to diesel vehicles – older petrol models will also be accepted.

MORE: The Government wants to stop new diesel and petrol cars by 2040

Ford said all old vans and cars from any manufacturer traded in for new before the end of December would be eligible.

All vehicles that are swapped will be scrapped – making an immediate impact on the environment, it said.

Many local councils are thinking of banning diesel cars or charging owners more to drive into town centres (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)
Many local councils are thinking of banning diesel cars or charging owners more to drive into town centres (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

Andy Barratt, chairman and managing director of Ford Britain, said the company had some “pretty large incentives” on offer, up to £7,000 for a commercial transit vehicle.

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“Air quality is a much bigger debate and getting older vehicles off the road is part of that,” he said on BBC Radio 4’s Today show.

“New technology, such as plug-in hybrids etc, are all part of that longer journey we need to work together.”

Any vehicle that took to the road before December 2009 will be considered.

MORE: London investing millions to double number of EV charging points

Consumers will be given at least £2,000 off new Ford car models ranging in price from about £12,000 to more than £20,000.

Ford said that by combining the scrappage incentive with other standard offers, customers could receive up to £4,000 off a car or £7,000 off the cost of a van.

Ford makes the UK’s best-selling car, the Fiesta, and van, the Transit Custom. However, the car sale market in general has been struggling of late as the impact of Brexit has seen consumers tighten their spending as inflation has risen.

Sales dipped 9% in July, and there is a degree of uncertainty among UK consumers about the future of both petrol and diesel-powered cars following the government announcement earlier in the summer of plans to make all vehicles electric within 20 years.

MORE: Personal details of 1.7m drivers sold by DVLA at £2.50 a time to parking firms

There are further concerns particularly about the immediate future of diesel cars with many local authorities considering charging drivers extra to visit or park in town centres to help tackle air pollution.

VW – hit by the emissions scandal in 2015 – is also poised to launch a similar scheme in the UK, following one already running in Germany.

Green groups broadly welcome the latest move by Ford. Anna Heslop, a lawyer with environmental activist body ClientEarth, said: “It seems the motor industry is finally waking up to the damage dirty diesels are doing to our lungs as well as their own reputation.

“What we need is a thought-through, coherent strategy from the government to help people to move to cleaner and more sustainable technology.”