Sector Players Say UK Needs Huge Effort to Transition to EVs

With the world moving towards electrification, several countries have revealed their plans to electrify their roads over the next two decades. The UK was originally poised to ban the sale of new internal combustion engine (“ICE”) vehicles by 2040, but the government pushed the ban to 2030. The ambitious goal, which is part of the UK’s plan to become a net-zero economy by 2050, puts the UK ahead of countries such as France which plans to ban ICE vehicles in 2040 and in line with the Netherlands, Germany, and Ireland.

To help achieve this goal, the government has pledged to provide £1.3bn ($1.7 billion) to speed up the installation of charging points across the country, £582m ($777 million) in incentives and grants to reduce the initial cost of zero- or ultra-low-emission vehicles, and around £500m ($668 million) to develop and mass produce electric vehicle (“EV”) batteries over the next four years. However, the RAC warns that the UK’s charging network will need to grow “exponentially” to deal with a surge in electric vehicle sales.

According to ZapMap, the UK has 20,197 charging points in 12,724 locations and more are rapidly being installed. However, if millions of drivers are to switch from ICE vehicles to battery-powered electric vehicles, the country will need many more charging points to sustain them. Uncertainty about range and charging, especially fear of running out of charge without a charging station in sight, makes many drivers apprehensive about EVs.

RAC’s Head of Road Policy Nicholas Lyes states that although issues with range are bound to disappear with time, it is crucial that the government invest in a wide network of fast and reliable EV chargers to sustain a massive switch to electric vehicles.

Additionally, the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (“SMMT”) states that while the government incentives are welcome, they are just a start. At the moment, electric vehicles are quite expensive to manufacture and most of these costs are passed down to the consumers.

A paltry 1.6% or 37,850 of the 2.3 million new cars registered in the UK in 2019 were electric. Although these vehicles are cheaper to fuel and maintain in the long term, the initial cost remains high, and EV firms rely heavily on incentives to make sales.

If the industry is to remain competitive SMMT boss Mike Hawes says, customers will have to be reassured that EVs are affordable, can deliver their mobility needs and can be easily recharged.

The issues above notwithstanding, many firms have pressed on developing electric vehicles geared to meet the unique needs of different applications. For example, ev Transportation Services Inc. is one such company. It focuses on developing and making light-duty commercial vehicles that are suitable for applications such as meter reading and building maintenance, as well as urban delivery services.

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