Nearly half of British public say they will never buy an electric car over charging fees

By Paul Homewood

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Nearly half of the UK public say they will never buy an electric car because of a lack of charging points, according to a new survey.
The cost of EVs is the other major reason why 46 per cent of people say they would not buy one in the future, the survey by Ford Motors has found. 
The findings highlight the challenge the Government faces as it prepares to bring forward the deadline to phase out new petrol and diesel vehicles, including plug-in hybrid models. 
Transport Minister Grant Shapps has suggested the date will be brought forward to 2032, but it is under pressure to make it as early as 2030. 
EVs currently account for just 5 per cent of new cars, but sales doubled in August even as the overall market fell. 
More than half of respondents to the Ford survey said they were put off buying an EV because of the price. Most EVs are significantly more expensive than similar petrol or diesel models, even with Government subsidies, with the cheapest starting from around £17,000.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/09/08/nearly-half-british-public-say-will-never-buy-electric-car-charging/

Never is, of course, a long time. But the survey underlines the fact that EVs simply are not fit for purpose for most drivers.

Cost is, of course, one problem, but not in my view an overriding one. Bear in mind that buyers of EVs don’t only get £3000 subsidies on purchase, they also  save about £1000 a year by not paying fuel duties. Add on exemption from vehicle tax, congestion charges etc, and the subsidy provided by the taxpayer works out at around £10,000 over five years.

Yet even with that bung, hardly anybody wants an EV.

The real issue is, of course, recharging batteries. Nearly half of car owners have no access to off street parking, so will find it difficult or impossible to charge at home.

Even those who can do so will worry about what happens when they go on a long run. There is no guarantee they will be able to recharge when they get to their destination, and the idea they should queue up for hours waiting to use public charger points is quite simply absurd.

Currently, despite the hype, EVs only make up 0.26% of cars on the road in the UK. One can imagine a roaring trade in refurbishing second hand cars when new ones are banned.

via NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT

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September 11, 2020 at 05:12AM