News & Features
AA Calls for EV Ownership to be More Affordable
Posted in General News on Wednesday, May 22nd, 2024
Last year more than 314,000 new zero emission cars were registered on UK roads. This is an increase of 18% according to the vehicle licensing statistics released by the Department for Transport (DfT). In 2023 zero emission cars accounted for 16% of all registered vehicles.
With the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate challenging manufacturers to sell at least 20% of their new cars with zero emissions, the outlook for EV sales looks positive this year. As part of it’s Motoring Manifesto, the AA is calling on the government to help achieve the ZEV Mandate target by calling for incentives to help people make the transition Options such as an interest free loan or scrapping VAT on new EV sales would help support lower income households in making the transition to EV.
The data also shows that the number of privately-owned diesel cars in London tumbled by 20.3% last year, with those in outer London down by 23.7%. Across the UK, the number of privately-owned diesel cars was down by 3.2%. However, the impact on the total car population in the capital was much less dramatic. While the total number of privately-owned cars increased across the UK, those in London fell by 1.6%. The worst hit was inner London with a 1.8% reduction. The AA’s Head of Roads Policy, Jack Cousens, said: “These latest figures show that the appetite for electric and zero emission vehicles is there, but it is predominantly being led by those who are in company car schemes, or their employer offers a salary sacrifice scheme. If strong incentives on EVs can be made, then the ZEV mandate will be smashed. Manufacturers producing good offers as well as Government support, such as scrapping VAT on new EV sales, will help those with lower incomes play their part in the switch to zero emission driving.”
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Tom Thatcher
Wednesday, May, 22nd, 2024
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m very tired of London being used as a yardstick for what is happening in the UK. Unbelievably, a lot of the people in the countryside - not “the environment” or “nature” - are involved in transport, food production and farming. The agricultural community sees the EV push as a compete joke. No electric tractor is going to pull an 8-furrow reversible plough for 12 hours for 7 days in a row, or provide the prime movers to bring food into London daily. The technology is 30 years away from being able to support essential transport - and good luck with electric aeroplanes, artics and ocean-going vessels - and even the work-shy Karl Marx was able to see the danger of introducing a new technology when its only half-formed. Also, the supply chain includes China for the essential elements and excludes just about everybody else, especially the UK. This is a virtue-signalling move for fleet cars and the super-rich. Bah, I say.
Edmund Hobby
Friday, May, 24th, 2024
I drive a motability car, I chose a petrol car as I dont want the problems of finding a charging point if away. Until this is sorted putting more and more EV's on the road is piling up problems. The present car is a 2024 model complying with the latest EU emmissions. The other problem, from what I have seen and those promoting EV's will poo poo it, amounts to the unreported problems with EV's. I have recently been sent information from Canada of film shot in China. Quite honestly the theme was the appalling quality control there. The number of EV's that catch fire even one that was lifted many feet in the air by a battery misfunction. These examples are not of Chinese domestic products BUT EV's that are exported all over the world. Of course we need to do something about emmissions having followed yesterday, a Fiat 600C belching out black smoke, clearly a poorly maintained diesel. It was but a few years old. One question that is never seemingly asked is what happens when an EV gets to 8 or more years and needs a new battery? Making new EV's more attractive surely should be off set against the problems piling up with an older example.