6 February 2024 – The switch from fossil fuel cars to electric vehicles (EVs) is a vital part of the UK’s net-zero strategy. But a House of Lords committee has now told the government that it needs to do more to boost EV sales.
Even though the number of electric vehicles sold in the UK has recently passed the million mark, the rate of adoption is slow, due to costs and worries about batteries and charging infrastructure.
The House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee has now urged ministers to do more to boost EV sales and tackle misinformation and fears.
Upfront Costs Hamper EV Sales
While the number of electric vehicles on UK roads is increasing, the committee report says that this is mostly down to corporate fleets and early adopters. For the vast majority of Brits, and especially those on lower incomes, the costs of an EV are too high.
The committee points to an Auto Trader poll from 2023, which questioned 4,000 UK drivers. 56% said that the upfront costs were the main reason they didn’t buy an electric vehicle. The results of this poll were also supported by the responses the committee had from the public to their Engagement Programme.
Young people especially are keen to switch to EVs because they are better for our planet. However, the upfront costs just don’t allow them to buy one.
Especially during a cost-of-living crisis, where prices for essentials are high, most people don’t have the money to buy an electric car.
Pointing to figures from the Office for Budget Responsibility, the report says that the growth of EV sales has slowed down over the past two years.
The report pointed to two main issues. First, there is a lack of affordable EVs on the market. Second, even the more affordable options are still more expensive than their Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) equivalents.
Lack Of Charging Infrastructure Also Big Concern
While upfront costs are the main barrier for most people, concerns about availability of charging points are a close second. In some surveys, this is the number one reason why people don’t switch to an electric vehicle.
Although the number of public charging points has increased, it’s not keeping up with the increasing number of new EVs on the roads. The committee’s research has found that the ratio of EVs to public charging facilities has worsened over the years.
In 2019 there was 1 public chargepoint for 33 EVs, but in 2022 there were 95 electric vehicles for one charging point across the UK.
There is also a great divide in distribution of these facilities between urban and rural areas, with rural areas lagging far behind.
The report said that even though the government is likely to achieve its target of 300,000 public chargepoints by 2030, the committee has been told that this number will be insufficient. As many as 700,000 could be needed, according to the government’s own strategy.
So unless the introduction of new charging points increases quickly, the infrastructure will not be sufficient to cope with the growing number of EVs. This will further damage consumer confidence in the viability of owning an electric car.
Government Has To Do More
The committee calls on the government to do more on various levels. It suggests the introduction of grants to bring down the upfront costs of EVs to the same level as ICEs.
Other measures the peers call for are government investment in UK production, fiscal incentives to bring down the price of EVs to the same level as ICEs and potential taxation on heavier and more expensive electric cars.
To solve the infrastructure issue, the report recommends that the government reviews and simplifies planning regulations for upgrading power lines, to accelerate upgrades that will allow the building of more chargepoints.
The Lords have also criticised the government for putting a heavy emphasis on the costs of EVs without highlighting the benefits. When Rishi Sunak delayed the ban of new ICE car sales, he only emphasised the costs.
By emphasising the costs while failing to stress the benefits and robustly counter misinformation, the government is not building public confidence.
House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee Report
The government has also not acted to tackle misinformation regarding electric vehicles, the report pointed out.
Our Opinion
The result of this report isn’t really a surprise to most of us. We ourselves share the concerns the report mentions. We want to buy an electric car, but can’t afford to do so. Even second-hand EVs are out of our reach.
Living rural, we are also concerned about the lack of charging points. While we have noticed more popping up, if we were to make a long journey, it would be difficult to ensure we could keep our car going.
The recommendations the committee made to the government are sensible and necessary if the UK is to reach net-zero by 2050. However, given Rishi Sunak’s attitude towards climate change action, I doubt he will heed them.
His recent watering down of climate targets, shows this. Even though the government seems to agree that EV sales have to grow, they are unwilling to do anything to support it. So why is that?
Well, we are in an election year, and he wants to be seen as the PM who made things better for us. He has pointed to the high costs of EVs, but rather than helping to bring costs down, he prefers to delay the ban on petrol and diesel cars. Because this is much cheaper and easier.
But it won’t help our environment. And that’s what’s so concerning: our PM is more interested in gaining votes than ensuring our children and grandchildren have a future to look forward to.
