Urgent action needed to spark sales surge of electric vehicles, new report says
The House of Lords has urged the Government to take swift action to overcome obstacles that are preventing electric vehicle (EV) adoption, according to a report.
Higher purchase costs, lack of charging stations and confusion are discouraging some people from switching to electric cars, warn the peers. The Environment and Climate Change Committee's report called on ministers to encourage consumers to move away from petrol and diesel vehicles.
It proposed incentives for buying used EVs by introducing an industry standard assessment for the condition and future wear and tear of their batteries. The report also suggested ensuring the EV charging network is not held back due to "out-dated regulation" and addressing "misinformation" about electric vehicles.
Leading the enquiry, Baroness Parminter stated: "Surface transport is the UK's highest emitting sector for CO2, with passenger cars responsible for over half those emissions. The evidence we received shows the Government must do more and quickly to get people to adopt EVs. If it fails to heed our recommendations, the UK won't reap the significant benefits of better air quality and will lag in the slow lane for tackling climate change."
EVs are pricier than petrol and diesel cars, and there's a lack of affordable options, according to the report. The high upfront cost of EVs, even used ones, is a big hurdle for buyers, the committee noted. The UK's decision to scrap purchase incentives for private buyers was described as "premature" by peers.
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They also pointed out that Rishi Sunak's speech, where he announced the delay in banning new petrol and diesel car sales from 2030 to 2035 and said achieving net zero will be tough, focused more on costs and less on benefits. Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, commented: "For many people, an electric car offers the prospect of cheap motoring once they have left the showroom."
He added: "The key is the recharging process, especially when drivers are away from home. Plugging in at a public charge point needs to be as simple and straightforward as visiting a forecourt selling petrol and diesel, and at the moment the multitude of systems and tariffs on offer means it isn't. Convenience and consistency must triumph over complexity."
On Monday, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders announced that the millionth pure battery electric new car was registered in the UK in January. The Government has told schools in England they can now get money to put in electric car chargers. Schools will be able to get a grant that pays for most of the cost, and this could mean up to £2,500 for each plug.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "After more than a decade of Government grants and tax incentives, the number of electric cars on our roads has significantly increased, with over a million now on UK roads. We are continuing to support the switch to electric with more than £2 billion, seeing a 45% increase in public chargepoints since January last year, putting us on track to install 300,000 public chargepoints by 2030."
"This week alone we have made chargepoints more accessible, with the first councils starting to receive part of the £381 million local electric vehicle infrastructure fund alongside new grants to install chargepoints in state schools and nurseries."
Ginny Buckley, who started an EV website called Electrifying.com, said: "The peers on this committee have pulled no punches in this report. We've consistently said that improvements to incentives, infrastructure and information are essential if we are to meet net zero targets and leave no-one behind on the journey. This report clearly shows that the House of Lords agrees with us."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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