Sustainability Newsletter – August 2024

Should the new government be helping car buyers switch to cleaner vehicles with new financial incentives, as once available via plug-in car grant? Under that system electric car sales were boosted with, in effect, a cash grant to take the sting out of the extra upfront cost compared with petrol, diesel and hybrid models. Under the previous government this was scaled back and then scrapped but the SMMT, the body representing carmakers and dealers, thinks it could be time to look again at financial incentives to help people go electric.
Now, the SMMT and the industry it represents has a vested interest given they want to drive demand for new cars. And there is some real panic among some carmakers about whether or not they’ll be able to meet the targets for selling an increasing proportion of electric only cars under the Zero Emissions Mandate designed to push the industry to the 2035 target for ending sales of new cars with combustion engines, hybrid or otherwise. Put bluntly, many of them need to sell a lot more electric cars to avoid heavy fines. But consumer demand is faltering, the higher purchase, finance or lease costs compared with petrol, diesel or hybrid cars still a huge barrier for many. Little wonder the manufacturers and retailers the SMMT lobbies for are keen for the government to help consumers into electric cars, not least private buyers who currently don’t score the incentives like reduced Benefit in Kind afforded to company car drivers. There is, of course, a bigger argument about whether encouraging people to buy new cars with the embedded ‘carbon cost’ of their production is in fact a green policy. But the direction of travel towards electric is set, the drive for zero tailpipe emissions will help local air quality in urban areas particularly and the SMMT believes car buyers respond better to carrots than sticks, which is why it says it will lobby for things like a reduction in VAT on electric cars. Will the new government be listening? Watch this space.

Beyond affordability what’s the secret for overcoming other fears like range anxiety among those considering an electric car? Based on our own recent experiences we’d say charger availability and charging speeds. We’ll start with the bad news, having recently tried a Zero DSR/X electric motorbike. The machine itself is great, but the charging experience is basically that of an early adopting EV driver of a decade back. Because the bike can only charge on slower AC (basically like you get at home and on slower public chargers) it takes forever to top up its battery, the availability of places you can plug in also very limited.

Weirdly this is the good news bit for electric car drivers, though! This lack of AC charging is basically thanks to the huge improvement in the faster DC charging network, which is what you want to be using when you’re just stopping for a quick top-up while you grab a coffee and comfort break on a longer journey. As many will be for the summer holiday getaway. Depending on the car or charger a 20-minute stop is usually plenty to get to where you want to go, meaning no significant time added to the journey compared with a combustion vehicle.
Which brings us to availability. Because this convenience only works if you can find a charger. Good news on that is in our recent travels we’re seeing more and more super fast chargers, especially at motorway services. Which means less queuing, a slicker charging experience and, again, smoother journeys. Gridserve, which operates much of the charging network on the motorways, had by April installed another 90 high speed chargers at sites across the motorway network and our experiences show there are new ones popping up all the time. Word to the wise, they’re not always where you’d expect them to be, and some services have yet to update their signage. For instance, having followed the Gridserve signs at Watford Gap, cursed when we found the bays full and made to move off we then found a gleaming new bank of chargers on the other side of the car park. And at the busy Cherwell Valley services near Silverstone we cursed to find all the chargers in use and only then discovered another set near completion at the on-site filling station. Perception is often as important as reality, and this very obvious appearance of lots of shiny new chargers all over the place has to help confidence levels among those pondering whether now is the time to switch to electric.

In another positive Gridserve’s chargers also accept contactless payment from a bank card or phone without any of the faffing about with apps that has made previous life on the public charging network such a pain. It’s still an expensive way to charge an electric car – often more expensive in cost per mile than petrol or diesel - but if you’re out and about this summer and can be bothered to download the app Gridserve is currently offering a 20 per cent discount, which is well worth the effort.
Away from the motorway network if you’re thinking of heading into the wilds in your electric car for days out over the summer holidays our recent experiences show charger availability is also much improved here as well, as we proved with a trip to Dyfi Bike Park in the middle of Wales. In summary, if our frustrating experiences on the electric bike proved anything it is just how good things now are for electric car drivers able to take advantage of faster DC charging. If Zero can add that to its bikes our two-wheeled friends will be able to join the electric revolution as well!

• Sustainability newsletter – July 2024 | Hidden carbon cost of tech, Volvo pushes for more recycled plastics and Renault secures greener supply chain for EV batteries
• Sustainability newsletter – June 2024 | Farewell chrome plating, bravo for Renault’s recycled interiors and a cheer for the … circular economy for recycled tyres • Sustainability newsletter – May 2024 | Lithium is key in the production of electric car batteries, but where does it all come from and at what cost? • Sustainability newsletter – March 2024 | The importance of renewable energy in making sure electric cars really are the green choice, and one Dutch couple’s mission to prove it! • Sustainability newsletter – January 2024 | French act on heavy SUVs and embedded CO2 of imported electric cars, BYD plans European factory and Nio opens battery swapping centres • Sustainability newsletter – December 2024 | Vauxhall electrifies Britain’s streets, a second life for electric car batteries and recycled Alcantara seat fabric combines luxury and sustainability • Sustainability newsletter – November 2023 | Costs for EV batteries fall, funding for UK-sourced lithium project, GM goes renewable and Lynk & Co commits to life cycle CO2 audits • Sustainability newsletter – November 2023 | Costs for EV batteries fall, funding for UK-sourced lithium project, GM goes renewable and Lynk & Co commits to life cycle CO2 audits • Sustainability newsletter – October 2023 | Costs for EV batteries fall, funding for UK-sourced lithium project, GM goes renewable and Lynk & Co commits to life cycle CO2 audits • Sustainability newsletter – September 2023 | Erin Baker shares her thoughts on the UK's changing net zero targets and delaying the 2030 ban for new petrol and diesel cars. • Sustainability newsletter – August 2023 | Zapmap reports increased charger installations, Lime's e-mobility revolution and Nissan's autonomous driving • Sustainability newsletter – July 2023 | Public charging network expands, hydrogen back on the agenda and choosing green tyres • Sustainability newsletter – June 2023 | BMW helps electrify the UK’s national parks and Kia ditches leather across its range of cars • Sustainability newsletter – May 2023 | What upholstery will you be choosing for your next car - leather or pleather? • Sustainability newsletter – April 2023 | Polestar’s ‘moonshot’ for a zero emissions car and a look into synthetic fuels as a possible lifeline for internal combustion classics • Sustainability newsletter – February 2023 | Our regular sustainability round-up continues with a look at some new recycled materials this month, all of which could be in your car soon • Sustainability newsletter – January 2023 | Eco awareness is driving more and more car buying decisions for a variety of reasons -here we celebrate those doing it right! --