The association says that in 2014 Renault and Nissan will aggressively market their products against new models from competitors including BMW, Ford, Audi and VW, and this competition should produce some more attractive pricing and aftermarket packages, stimulating volumes through the 10,000 barrier for the first time.

It added that the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) is keen to boost fleet uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles and is developing a new set of policy measures and tax incentives. These changes won’t be implemented until 2015 so for the time being OLEV is likely to concentrate on boosting the awareness and understanding of ultra-low emission vehicles by working with organisations such as the BVRLA, the Association of Car Fleet Operators (ACFO) and the Energy Saving Trust.