Industry experts call on government
Industry experts are calling on government to introduce more initiatives to encourage drivers to transition to electric vehicles, after a new survey discovered that two out of three drivers have no imminent plans to make the switch, despite the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles expected to come into effect in 2030.
The study, which was conducted by the UK’s leading independent leasing, fleet management, and vehicle outsourcing business Zenith, comes following the Government’s recently launched consultation on the phase out of new petrol and diesel vehicles, and found that cost was a major factor when encouraging drivers to make the switch.
The immaturity of the used market was also cited as an obstacle. While a pre-owned car provides a more accessible price point, the reliability of a used EV battery came into question, with more than a quarter (26%) of drivers stating they’d be encouraged to transition if more used EVs came with guarantees on battery health.
The data showed that charging infrastructure was another barrier to those looking to move away from petrol and diesel powertrains. Despite a record number of public chargers being installed across the UK last year – and with the network growing by 35% since January 2024 – more than a third of drivers (35%) surveyed said they wouldn’t transition until charging infrastructure matured further.
The dataset has led to calls from Zenith and industry body, BVRLA, for the Government to continue to incentivise the EV transition, support the used EV market and work with the sector to launch a campaign to eliminate common misconceptions and conflicting information. This would ultimately encourage more drivers to transition to a greener vehicle, allowing them to make a fact-based decision when it comes to purchasing an EV.
Andy Wolff, commercial director of the Corporate Division at Zenith, said: “In the company car and salary sacrifice markets, we’re making major strides on the road to net zero. The financial benefits of EVs in these two markets demonstrates that when supported, and incentivised, drivers will back the transition.
“However, our data shows that there are still barriers which need to be addressed if we’re to meet the expected 2030 deadline. There remains limited incentive for wider consumers to transition to EVs in the retail market. By incentivising drivers and helping to resolve some of the common misconceptions around electric vehicles – especially when it comes to battery health and the charging network – we can work on transitioning those who are, as of yet, unconvinced by the move to electric vehicles, and ensure EVs work for all.”
