The AA warns that much more needs to be done to ramp up the adoption of electric vehicles (EV) in the U.K. In a report issued March 10, the 14-million-member motoring organization urges the government to better promote the switch to EVs and combat disinformation spread by certain sections of the media.
AA polling reveals that 22% of drivers say they won’t make the switch, and even those who are already driving EVs believe more is needed to make ownership and use more practical. The AA has identified four driver types:
Rejectors: 22% of drivers wholly reject EVs
Doubters: 20% of drivers are neutral or unlikely to get an EV as their next car and are less likely to get one in the future.
Potentials: 52% of drivers say they are likely/very likely to get an EV as their next car in the next five years or so.
Adopters: 7% already own or drive an EV or have driven one in the past, but they say, “Improvements in the experience are still needed.”
The AA says those with negative views about EVs may have been misled by misinformation. The U.K.’s right-wing press has generally been very negative about EVs over several years.
“Many drivers don’t appreciate that as the ban nears, fewer and fewer internal combustion engine cars will be available for sale,” says the AA.
80% of cars and 74% of vans should be electric by 2040, says the U.K.’s Climate Change Committee which release a report last month on the pressing need to electrify Britain’s motor vehicles.
The AA’s report—What do drivers want from the EV transition?—has been sent to the Transport Secretary and Energy and Climate Change Secretary.
The AA proposes a public awareness campaign, led by the government and industry, promoting the uptake of EVs and addressing the doubts evident among British drivers.
AA CEO Jakob Pfaudler said: “Our message to the government is that more needs to be done to make EVs accessible to everyone. Generally, drivers are hesitant, but most are not hostile to the change. Our research shows many people are confused by the transition.”
