News: Nick Clegg urges electric car take-up but drives an old Ford Galaxy

NICK CLEGG has, today, admitted he drives an old Ford Galaxy despite this week encouraging people to drive electric cars.

The deputy prime minister said this week that owning an electric car is “no longer a dream or an inconvenience” but in his LBC radio phone-in show today he admitted he drives an old Ford Galaxy.

A listener, identified as Graham in Bushey, telephoned the show to ask why Clegg’s official car and, he assumed, his private car were not electric.

Clegg said he had no say in the model of his official car before saying that his private car is a Galaxy.

He said: “As far as my own personal car, I would love to buy an electric car if they produced more of the family sized, people-carrier cars. I drive a second-hand Ford Galaxy, not in prime condition. I’ve had it many, many years.”

Clegg, who is married with three sons, continued: “I’d love to switch to electric cars but almost all of them are smaller ones and not quite right for a family of my size.”

Is Nick Clegg right?

Three electric family cars he could buy

Tesla Model S (from £49,900 after £5,000 government plug-in grant). Also available with optional rear-facing jump seats in the boot to make model a seven-seater.

Renault Kangoo Maxi Crew ZE 5 seater (from £16,620 after government’s £8,000 commercial vehicle plug-in grant).

Nissan Leaf (from £21,490 after £5,000 government plug-in grant).