- UK government is pushing the £3,750 EV incentive
- It claims 100,000 chargers will be installed in ‘the coming years’
- But the campaign misses a few key points
The UK government has launched a new advertising campaign across TV, radio and digital outlets to highlight the benefits of making the move to electric propulsion.
Suggesting that there has “never been a better time to switch”, the Department for Transport (DfT) is pushing the £3,750 Electric Car Grant, stating that over 50,000 drivers have already saved money on their shiny new EVs.
The ‘Get that electric feeling’ campaign also points out that charging will continue to become easier, as the government rolls out an additional 100,000 new local public chargers “over the coming years”, as well as future reforms to planning permissions that make it easier for residents without private driveways to install home chargers.
But despite the many positives pushed in the narrative, including the possibility of saving up to £1,400 on annual fuel and maintenance costs, it doesn’t address a number of barriers to entry that still trouble potential buyers to this day.
Firstly, while the public charging network is improving, it isn’t all-encompassing, with rural or cut-off areas typically being the last to receive the infrastructure required to run an EV without owning a charging outlet at home.
It also means route-planning to anywhere remote requires the sort of care and attention that drivers of fossil fuel cars simply don’t have to worry about.
Chargers, chargers everywhere
Secondly, despite planned reforms to planning permissions to make it easier for those that don’t own a driveway to install a charger, there are still vast swathes of the population who rent – and therefore have little say in what can or can’t be installed.
Similarly, there are properties that fall under covenants or are situated away from a road or where the car is parked, like the house I live in, which makes it impossible to install a private charger unless you invest in a dangerously long extension cable.
Many local councils have aimed to combat this by increasing the number of lamppost and kerbside chargers, but they remain a rare sight outside of the UK’s largest cities.
As a result, my family relies on the public charging network to run a Kia EV6, which is readily available near me, but hideously expensive.
Much of the focus in my area (and further afield) has been on upgrading existing outlets to DC fast chargers in order to keep up with the trend of manufacturers installing larger battery packs. This is great for reducing the time it takes to charge, but the cost per kilowatt is painful.
A road trip to visit family in our car, for example, costs twice that of an efficient diesel or petrol car, especially in winter, when the advertised range drops considerably.
The UK government’s £1,400 a year on running costs and maintenance figure is clearly based on owners being able to charge at home, because this just isn’t achievable if you charge regularly on expensive public outlets, where companies are sometimes charging in excess of £1 per kilowatt.
If you own a Kia EV9, it will cost almost £100 to cover between 270 and 300 miles before another stop is required.
EVs still cost more
Despite a push from manufacturers to reduce the cost of electric vehicles and a financial incentive from the government, they are still comparatively expensive, and this is made worse by the poor residual values. There aren’t many electric vehicles on the used market that retain value like their petrol or hybrid counterparts.
This fact is particularly worrying for those who invested in premium or luxury EVs, such as the Porsche Taycan or Audi e-tron GT. You only have to scan the classifieds to realize those owners lost a lot of money.
Finally, another limiting factor is choice, as not all automakers currently offer a pure-electric version of the entire range. Brands like Hyundai, Kia and Peugeot have done a particularly stellar job in this field, with the latter offering everything from the compact 208 to the E-Traveller van in an electrified version, but the same can’t be said for everyone.
Plus, even with the French marque’s impressive array of choice, customers of the family-friendly E-Rifter MPV or the E-Traveller van have to make do with 199 miles and 219 miles of range respectively.
You can expect these figures to drop dramatically, particularly in colder climates, to the point where E-Rifter owners may only be able to achieve around 100 miles before the vehicle needs charging again.
While this is perfectly fine for owners and families regularly undertaking short journeys throughout the week, alongside the ability to plug in and charge cheaply at home, it’s no good for anyone commuting or traveling further.
Ian Plummer, Chief Customer Officer of Autotrader, said of the UK government’s latest campaign that “reinforcement of the benefits of electric car ownership is key to ensure consideration translates into buying” and that “electric cars are a great option for many drivers”, which is true.
But they are still not perfect for everyone and anyone stuck with high mileage on a regular basis will attest to both the cost of the public charging network and its availability.
As EVs increase in popularity, some of the most popular charging locations (motorway service stations etc) are becoming increasingly congested, only adding to the issue of range anxiety that has plagued the technology.
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