Saving money not environment is driving ev sales

However, ‘range anxiety’ remains a tough challenge for the industry. Although purchase cost was a factor mentioned by more people who didn’t choose an EV than any other issue, ‘distance/range limitations’ was listed as the biggest worry overall.

And in a sign that diehard internal combustion engine fans may be especially hard to convert, 25% of people admit that they still have an “emotional attachment” to petrol and diesel engines.

The research also underlines the need to maximise publicity around the rapid growth in Britain’s charging point network because 17% of people who chose not to go electric for their current car cited too few charge points as their main reason.

Only this week Driver Power revealed Britain’s best EV charging point networks, as rated by thousands of drivers. Autovia’s flagship title Auto Express concluded from the research that “some of the biggest and more well-known charging networks will be disappointed to see that their operations need work”. Auto Express also noted that the primary provider of universally-available charge points was ranked last by users among a total of nine networks.

Autovia Editor-in-Chief, Steve Fowler, said, “The growing impetus among consumers to want to buy an electric vehicle is well documented, but the reasons they didn’t choose an EV as their latest car are important for the industry to understand.

“Clearly the upfront cost of EVs and worries about charging remain the biggest obstacles but the depth of our latest research also reveals signs of hope for the EV sector.

Pre-cabling for the installation of private chargers, where close to 90% of all charging occurs, would be required in new buildings and buildings undergoing extensive renovations, the EU Commission proposed. However, Transport & Environment cautioned against leaving behind the vast majority of motorists who live and work in existing buildings, where there will be no requirement.

New and renovated non-residential buildings, such as offices and shops, would also have to be equipped with a minimum number of installed charging points, according to the proposed new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). And, for the first time, drivers of electric vehicles (EVs) would have the right to install a charger – at their own cost, if necessary – whenever they purchase or lease an EV in Europe.

Fabian Sperka, vehicles policy manager at T&E, said, “If we expect drivers to go electric then we must remove the barriers to charging where most of it happens, at home and work. Requiring pre-cabling in new builds or major renovations only limits the charging roll-out to the tiny share of building stock that is constructed every year. Just 1% of existing buildings are renovated extensively annually.”