There has been much coverage of the Prime Minister’s COP26 Spokeswoman, Allegra Stratton’s, comments in a radio interview about not being quite ready to switch her older diesel for an electric vehicle yet.
There is no doubt it is difficult to make that switch.
It is not my job to tell anyone what type of car they should buy whether they are a COP26 adviser or not. I would not. It is a matter of personal choice, needs, budget, practicality, and lifestyle.
Lots of barriers come to mind and all the below points were raised in a recent AA/Yonder poll of 14,000 drivers:
- EVs cost more to buy than equivalent petrol or diesel car (81%)
- EVs won’t go as far on a single charge as petrol or diesel cars with a full tank (77%)
- EV charging takes too long (59%)
- EV infrastructure is unreliable (56%)
- EVs may run out of charge on a motorway (51%)
Most of these points can be addressed rationally:
Expensive: Yes, EVs are more expensive but are cheaper to run, have no car tax, cheaper servicing and are exempt from Congestion Charges and some parking charges. They can also be leased. See AA Smart Lease.
Range: No most EVs can’t go as far on a single charge as many petrol or diesel vehicles with a full tank. But the average journey is under 8 miles and most EVs have a range of about 200 miles. Indeed Paul Clifton, BBC Transport Correspondent, just drove a Ford Mustang E-Mache from John O’Groats to Lands Land with recharging for less than 45 minutes in total. We know as AA Patrols supported him along the way.
Charging takes too long: Well, it doesn’t have to. Most EVs on rapid chargers can get at least 60-200 miles range in 20 to 30 minutes. The majority of EV users charge their vehicles overnight when they are not using them.
Unreliable infrastructure: This has been a problem particularly at motorway service areas. However, there is good news here as GRIDSERVE has just taken over most of the motorway network chargers and is upgrading the chargers. Tesla has also announced it will open its network to other users.
May run out of charge on a motorway: EVs give lots of warning to the driver when the charge is low and often the sat nav will suggest a nearby charging point. As the range of EVs and number of chargers have increased the AA has seen the number of breakdowns for out of charge half. Currently less than 4% of EV breakdowns are linked to running out of charge. In Norway, which has a much higher proportion of EV owners, the figure is less than 1%. So even on a smart motorway the EV driver should be able to get to the closest service area or charge post when warnings are given and in extreme circumstance should be able to get to the next Emergency Refuge Area where the AA could help.
But our view is that each driver should choose the car that is right for them and that fits with their individual needs and driving patterns.
Hence the sales rep that does high motorway mileage and tows a caravan on holiday is probably best suited to a decent Euro 6 diesel.
The city dweller in a flat who has a small petrol run-around and does very low mileage is probably best suited to hold on to that car.
It is horses for courses.
For me personally, the biggest barrier was psychological. These questions and insecurities would run through my mind:
- Can I get to my mother’s and back with one charge?
- Norwich have been promoted so how will we get to Anfield and back in an EV?
- What if I need the car urgently and it is low on charge?
- Won’t it be a pain to have to stop to recharge?
- The charging technology and different apps are too complicated, so how will I cope?
- I like to drive petrol cars and love the sound of a decent engine; will I miss it?
What helped me to overcome these psychological barriers was doing it in stages. I went from a petrol sports car, to a sporty plug-in hybrid and after getting used to charging, I went full electric. The hybrid certainly helped me to break down some of the barriers.
So as I stated I would never tell anyone what type of car they should buy, whether they are a COP26 adviser or not. I would not. It is a matter of personal choice, needs, budget, practicality, and lifestyle.
But what I can say with certainty is that when I made that switch, I did not regret it. I love my EV. I love driving it. I even love planning the charging on a long journey and picking out somewhere I would like to stop. I also do like the fact that I have no tailpipe emissions.
The one thing I still really miss is the sound of that great combustion engine…I have an enhanced engine sound on my EV but it is still not a V6.
So, I’m nearly 100% there but still have a sound psychological barrier to cross.
Edmund