Nick Clegg goes green with £100 million pledge for low emission car

Nick Clegg on the campaign trail earlier this week.

His party announced it would set up a taxpayer-funded £100 million prize to reward a motor manufacturer that makes a best-selling low-emission vehicle.

The Lib Dems said the event was part of the party’s goal of banning conventional diesel and petrol engined cars from the nation’s roads by 2040.

It said the money would be awarded to a company which creates an ultra-low emission vehicle (Ulev) which breaks into the top five selling cars in the UK, requiring sales of around 60,000.

It is part of the Lib Dem effort to win back swathes of voters who, according to the polls, appear to have absconded to the Green party since the party went into coalition with the Conservatives.