Motor manufacturers in the West Midlands are to be hit by "green" taxes costing their customers up to £735 million a year.

More than half the vehicles currently produced at Land Rover's plant in Solihull and Jaguar's plant in Birmingham will be liable for charge of £550, under proposals unveiled by Chancellor Alistair Darling. Mr Darling said the fee was part of a package of measures to protect the environment, as he delivered his first Budget.

But manufacturers accused the Chancellor of using green issues as an excuse to raise taxes. Figures published by the Treasury showed that the measure, which comes fully in effect in 2010, would raise an extra £735 million annually.

Mr Darling announced that owners of "gas-guzzling" vehicles which cause the most pollution are to be charged a new rate of vehicle excise duty of £950 for the first year – up from £400 now.

They will then be charged £455 annually, an increase of £55 a year on the current levy.

The top rate of tax will apply to vehicles which produce 255g of C02 emissions per kilometre – more than 60 per cent of the vehicles manufactured by Land Rover and Jaguar.

Other vehicles which produce more than 140g of CO2 per kilometre will be liable for more modest increases.

Last night a spokesman for the firms, both owned by motoring giant Ford, said they would aim to introduce cleaner vehicles by the time the changes came into force.

The spokesman said: "At the moment, 61 per cent of our vehicles would be liable for the top rate of duty introduced in Mr Darling's budget.

"But by the time the measures come into effect, it should be much less. We have invested £700 million in new technology to produce cleaner vehicles.

"At this point, we cannot predict how many of the vehicles we produce will be affected."

The two firms employ 12,000 staff in the West Midlands, producing more than 200,000 vehicles a year.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders accused the Chancellor of using the environment as an excuse to tax motorists.

SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt said: "Trying to force people out of high-value cars has no environmental merit and will be seen as a smokescreen for revenue-raising."

Other environmentally-friendly measures announced by Mr Darling included plans for a charge on disposable plastic bags – unless shops voluntarily reduced their use.

He also confirmed that the Government was pressing ahead with plans to introduce a national road pricing scheme, contradicting reports that Ministers had given up on plans for nationwide charges.

However, his attempts to establish his "green" credentials were hampered by an announcement that a planned 2p increase in fuel duty due to come in April would be delayed until October.

Drinkers will pay more after the Chancellor put up alcohol duties by six per cent above inflation from midnight - putting 4p on a pint of beer and 55p on a bottle of spirits.

He rejected Conservative proposals to increase duty specifically on high-alcohol drinks such as alcopops, which the Tories say are fuelling binge-drinking.

There were measures to reduce the number of children in poverty, including increasing child benefit to £20 for first child, and to help pensioners, with a £50 increase in winter fuel payment for over-60s and a £100 increase for those over 80.

But underlying it all was a grim warning that the British economy could not escape the effects of a worldwide economic slowdown.

Mr Darling told MPs: "This year's Budget is a responsible Budget that will secure stability in these times of global economic uncertainty."

Business leaders in Birmingham urged the Government to do more to improve transport.

Charlotte Ritchie, head of policy at Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, said: "The postponement of the fuel duty increase, if it was done as a response to the current economic climate, should be welcomed – but it was only a six-month postponement, with a further half-pence increase to be expected in 2010.

"We would rather he had scrapped it altogether, as rising fuel costs is one of the main burdens on business today.

"In other transport issues, it was disconcerting that there wasn’t a greater focus on investment in regional transport infrastructure."