The future of electric vehicles in the UK depends not only on direct support, but on support for renewables in general, according to the Renewable Energy Association (REA).

The REA said today that it welcomes the early comments on electric vehicles in Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s budget, but said the budget also needs to address the broader needs of the struggling renewables industry. Any programme to promote electric vehicle adoption also needs to be coordinated with a strategic expansion of renewable electricity to ensure the effort is truly green, the REA added.

“This move is only as green as the electricity that charges the batteries,” said Gaynor Hartnell, director of policy for the REA. “It is vital that the electric vehicles push ties in directly with an even greater expansion of renewable electricity at all scales, otherwise we will be building yet more dirty power stations.  The Government will need to bring renewables, the network infrastructure and car industries together to ensure that this happens.”

The REA warned that renewables are “on tenterhooks” in the run up to the budget, as the Low Carbon Building Programme is coming to an end and busineses across the sector continue to have difficulties obtaining financing.

“We must invest in renewables to pull us out of the recession and at the moment the industry is suffering as the recession is biting,” Hartnell said. “We can’t lose sight of its needs, especially if we have to ramp up delivery of renewable electricity even more to meet our European targets.”