WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP THE UK'S TRANSITION TO EVs?

WITH SLOWER-THAN-EXPECTED SALES, A LACK OF CHARGERS AND ZEV MANDATE CONFUSION, IS THE ELECTRIC REVOLUTION STALLING?

- Tom Jervis Thomas

Almost half of prospective new car buyers would refuse to switch to an electric vehicle, even if the Government offered a financial incentive to try to tempt them, according to a survey by the UK’s automotive industry trade body.

This puts a dent in the Government’s ZEV mandate, under which ever-more EVs must be sold.

The start to 2025, at first glance, appeared positive, because EVs accounted for roughly 23 per cent of new car sales in the first couple of months — up from 15.8 per cent the year before. However, this apparent acceleration of interest may be a red herring, because a survey by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) found that numbers aren’t expected to grow much further, with only 23 per cent of prospective new-car buyers saying they would consider an EV before 2028.

Furthermore, of those who said they would not choose an electric car, three in five said they still wouldn't opt to go electric even if the Government brought back a financial incentive along the lines of the EV plug-in grant, which was discontinued in 2022. It’s also worth pointing out that nearly half (48.7 per cent) of those who originally said they would buy a new electric car already own one, meaning sales could be driven by existing EV adopters, not new converts.

The SMMT, as well as the industry it represents, believes Government incentives could be the key to turbocharging sales, which have largely been artificially stimulated by what the trade body describes as “unsustainable” discounts by manufacturers. In 2024, car makers spent £4.5 billion discounting EVs in order to meet the UK’s tough ZEV mandate targets. SMMT CEO Mike Hawes noted: “This is equivalent to a third of the UK’s overseas aid budget, before it was cut. Let that sink in.”