There are some very promising signs for the year ahead in the electric-vehicle sector but also a number of challenges.
More than a third of people are now considering buying an EV, compared to just over a quarter in 2023, and more competitive prices for second cars mean sales are staring to soar – up 52%, this year.
In 2020, just 6.6% of all new vehicles registered were electric, now the figure is 17.2%.
But there are many issues the sector needs to tackle, too, from stubborn consumer fears about range anxiety to Transport for London’s decision to remove congestion charge discounts for zero-emission vehicles from next December.
Tom Bloor, managing director of EV-charger company, evec, looks at the problems and opportunities that lie in store for UK electric-vehicle industry and how to combat them.
These covers several points, including:
- the need for electric-vehicle dealers and charging companies to incentivise London-area individual customers and firm to buy EVs, once Transport for London remove the congestion charge discount in December 2025. Solutions could include reduced prices and paying the congestion charge on new cars for a year. There is also a need to lobby TfL to reverse its decision or find a compromise.
- potential changes in demand for EVs due to evolution of clean air zones across British cities, including in Manchester.
- EV companies, particularly car makers and repairers and charger firms, need to channel much more resources and efforts into training a new generation of EV workers. The Climate Change Committee estimate that up to 100,000 jobs could be created by electric vehicle and battery manufacturing by 2030. But there are currently nowhere near enough skilled workers to achieve this. This needs to change if the sector is to fulfil its potential.
- it is essential for sector leaders to lobby the new government for improved public-charging infrastructure, substantial investment into the national grid to cope with extra demand and better grants for councils and firms to install chargers.
- moves should be made towards making the price of public charging, particularly rapid charging, roughly commensurate with home charging, rather than four to five times more. This will bring more consumers for whom home charging is difficult, such as people living in flats, into the market.
- concerted, stronger marketing is needed to dispel inaccurate consumer concerns about issues such as limited EV ranges and fire risk.
- companies, councils and government should collaborate to further increase the promising uptake of EV cars with incentives like free shopping-centre charging, council-tax rebates and local grants.
