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The manager of Halfords has accused the Government of getting a “backwards stage” with its decision to stop the plug-in vehicle grants plan.

The Government confirmed before this week that it was scrapping the £1,500 subsidy for purchases of new electric autos, declaring it would “refocus” funding to encourage consumers of other automobiles to make the switch to electric.

But the move has been achieved with anger in the business, and Halfords chief government Graham Stapleton mentioned it would delay the changeover toward the higher use of electric autos.

He mentioned: “Till now, we have been significantly inspired by the Government’s motivation to earning the transition to electrical automobiles. On the other hand, the sudden and complete removal of the plug-in subsidy is a backward step.

“It will hold off mass adoption at a time when we have to have to be undertaking everything we can to support people today to pick greener transportation alternatives. We are creating to the Secretary of State for Transport to request him to reconsider.”

It arrived as Halfords revealed a bounce in income thanks to ongoing growth in its motoring and autocentres corporations.

The London-shown corporation noted a 50laptop increase in pre-tax profits to £96.6m in the year to April. That also represented a 325pc rise on the £22.7m profit it posted in the calendar year right before the pandemic hit.

Nonetheless, shares tumbled just about 20pc as the retailer warned of provide chain disruption and claimed it expected gains to be reduced this year amid economic uncertainty.