The spike in sales of electric vehicles in the UK caused by the conflict in the Middle East may be a fleeting “sugar rush” which will fall away over time.
That’s a key finding of the Auto Trader Road to 2030 Report, released today.
In the three months to 31 May EVs took a 27% share of new car enquiries, nine percentage points higher year on year.
Growth in electric new car enquiries outstripped the market in April specifically with 125% growth year-on-year, compared to 31% for the broader new car market on Autotrader.
The timing of the Auto Trader release coincides with the announcement by the US and Iran that they have agreed a deal to end the war, which mediator Pakistan says will be signed on Friday in Switzerland.
Ian Plummer, chief customer officer at Autotrader, said: “There’s a real risk geopolitical forces are causing a temporary sugar rush for the UK’s EV market as buyers respond to soaring petrol prices.
“We shouldn’t rely on international conflict to boost this transition – we’ve seen previous spikes in electric interest driven by petrol price hikes simply don’t last and there’s no guarantee this boost is here to stay.
“When only 10% of recent non-electric car buyers considered an electric car, we’ve got problems.”
More than eight in 10 buyers (84%) think electric cars are expensive to buy, seven in 10 (69%) find charging inconvenient, and almost two-thirds (65%) say there are not enough places to charge near their homes.
Autotrader is calling on the Government to divert some of the current ECG funding to support more households to access used EVs, as well as ensuring every driver can access lower at-home charging costs.
It is also calling for a delay to the implementation of the Treasury’s proposed electric Vehicle Excise Duty, over fears it will discourage drivers from making the switch.
Plummer continued: “Electric mass adoption is an exciting opportunity to change how we drive but we must be aware of the realities, there’s a chance the sales boost we’re seeing now will dry up future interest so we must work to address underlying barriers to adoption – we can’t rely on a war to stimulate demand.
“The new research also highlights that thousands of people on lower household incomes are still being left behind. With less than five years to go until the ban on new petrol and diesel cars, the Government should do more to ensure an accessible and equitable transition.”
