What's the news?
BMW Ireland has announced its plans to offer owners of older diesel cars an additional €2,000 off the price of any new BMW and MINI vehicles that have emissions of 130g/km or less.
This incentive, which applies to trade-ins of all brands of vehicles provided it is diesel and either Euro 4 standard or older. Prospective buyers must have owned the trade-in for a minimum of 12 months and the new vehicle must be purchased in the same name and address as the car being traded-in by the customer.
The Euro 4 emissions standard was introduced in January 2005 and applied to vehicles up until September 2009, when a higher standard was implemented. If you are unsure as to whether your vehicle would qualify, BMW Ireland has created a website in which you can check its eligibility by entering your vehicle's registration number - www.BMW.ie/loweremissionsallowance
In addition to the standard €2,000 contribution, many of BMW Ireland's existing models also come with offers to help promote new vehicle sales. This means that on models such as the BMW 330e plug-in hybrid, a buyer can save up to €12,500 off the original on-the-road price when the SEAI grant and VRT rebate for plug-in hybrids are included. For those considering a move to a fully electric vehicle, the BMW i3 can now be purchased for €5,000 less, in addition to the €10,000 SEAI grant and VRT rebate, making it €32,180 on-the-road.
Paulo Alves of BMW Group Ireland, said: "BMW offers the widest range of low emission vehicles of any manufacturer. We were the first premium marque to make a clear commitment to electric mobility and having a range of sustainable mobility options too. We know in the early phases that people still need some incentive to make the jump to fully electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles and that is why we are delighted to announce this new allowance. For those who the alternative drivetrains do not suit their lifestyle we still offer allowance qualifying EU6 compliant petrol and diesel engine cars that are cleaner than ever."
Anything else?
It isn't just plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles that qualify for the additional €2,000 trade-in bonus; many of BMW's smaller sized models such as the 1, 2, and 3 Series ranges with both petrol and diesel engines also meet the criteria of having emissions below 130g/km.