Older drivers, women and low-income motorists ‘face being left behind by rush to go electric’

Older drivers, women and lower-income motorists face being left behind in the rush to go electric, industry chiefs warned yesterday.

Experts said the three groups were most at risk of being frozen out of the transition amid the soaring cost of electric vehicles (EVs), piling pressure on ministers to provide support for making the switch.

It came as peers launched an inquiry into EVs and whether the Government’s 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel car sales is realistic.

In its opening session, the Lords’ environment and climate change committee was told that the cost of insuring an EV has soared by up to 60 per cent this year.

Meanwhile, on-street charging points are up to 20 per cent pricier than filling up with fossil fuels due to the surge in electricity costs.

Experts said the three groups were most at risk of being frozen out of the transition amid the soaring cost of electric vehicles

One key target of having six high-speed chargers at every motorway service station by 2024 will almost certainly be missed, the committee was told.

It came as a survey of 4,000 motorists for the AutoTrader car sales website found that 56 per cent of drivers consider EVs too expensive and that only 47 per cent think it would fit in with their lifestyle.

It is the latest blow for the Government’s 2030 target.

READ MORE: The electric car ownership gender gap: Study finds that only one in ten EV drivers are women

Mike Hawes, chief executive of industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, told the committee that EV sales were cooling off and better incentives were needed to help private motorists buy them. 

He said: ‘Insurance has gone up significantly this year – some 50 or 60 per cent. Can we do something to incentivise or make it more affordable in terms of insurance?’

EVs have price tags as much as £10,000 more expensive than petrol or diesel equivalents. 

And there are just nine EV models on sale for less than £30,000, down from 11 at the end of 2022.

By contrast, there are 87 diesel and petrol models which sell for below £30,000.

Marc Palmer, of Auto Trader, told peers: ‘There are three core groups being left behind by the transition: those over 55, women and people on lower incomes.

‘We see a real risk that those people could be left behind in the transition so action needs to be taken to help them out.

‘The core reasons they’re being left behind really is cost – it’s a big barrier – perceptions around public charging infrastructure and changes required of lifestyle.’

And in an extra blow for those who have recently bought EVs, Auto Trader’s report reveals a 23 per cent slide in used electric car prices over the past 12 months.

While this will bring greener options within easier reach of more drivers, it will see existing owners lose up to tens of thousands of pounds from the loss in value of their vehicles. 

According to Auto Trader data, more than a quarter of all used EVs were priced under £20,000 in August – up from 7 per cent a year earlier.

EVs between three and five years old have seen even bigger price drops of 40 per cent, making some EV models such as the Nissan Leaf cheaper than petrol or diesel equivalents for the first time. 

As a result of the price drops attracting buyers, used EVs are selling as quickly as petrol and diesel vehicles, with all types taking 28 days to sell in August.

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Another poll, conducted by the AA and Electrifying.com, found that just 16 per cent of drivers agree that the Government is right to pursue the 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars in a bid to push more motorists into EVs.

It also said that consumer confidence in electric cars has dropped significantly from two years ago, which has prompted the calls from concerned industry experts to apply pressure on the Government.

Only 9 per cent of respondents to a 11,565-driver survey said their next car would be electric, with a staggering 87 per cent stating that EVs were too expensive (up from 81 per cent in the same survey conducted in March 2021).

Two thirds (66 per cent) said rising energy prices had put them off owning an electric car.

Just 8 per cent of those surveyed have confidence in buying a used electric car, with 64 per cent worrying unnecessarily that the battery won’t last as long as a petrol or diesel car’s engine.

Charge point concerns are also rife, says another report. This comes after This is Money revealed this week the uneven spread of pubic rapid charging devices across the UK

‘It’s also clear that concerns about charging are knocking consumer confidence.’ Electrifying.com said. 

‘Despite the fact that at the end of August there were 48,450 electric vehicle charging points across the UK – a 42 per cent increase in the total number of charging devices since August 2022 – 70 per cent of those surveyed feel that public charging infrastructure is unreliable (up from 56 per cent in the same survey conducted in March 2021).’

The EV website’s concerns follow an exclusive report from This is Money this week regarding Britain’s uneven spread of electric car rapid chargers.

The latest DfT stats show that there are currently 44,020 public charging points available to EV drivers across the UK. However, fewer than one in five (19 per cent) of these are ‘rapid’ or ‘ultra-rapid’ devices.

The numbers show that just 8,461 of nation’s public points are those that offer the quickest charge times – and their locations are far from consistent.

For instance, the Orkney Islands has only a few hundred EVs registered but has the second highest concentration of rapid EV chargers of anywhere in Britain, according to the analysis of official figures.

READ MORE: The 30 used electric cars that plunged in price most in the past turbulent year for EV owners

Despite having only 22,000 inhabitants, electric car owners already have access to 15 public fast chargers across the inhabited Islands. In comparison, there are only three rapid charging devices available in Leicester, which has a population of over 350,000 and almost 2,500 EV drivers. 

Founder and CEO of Electrifying.com, Ginny Buckley, said: ‘On the surface sales of electric cars might look positive, but our recent survey results speak for themselves; Britain’s struggling car buyers are increasingly hesitant to make the switch to electric, and unless action is taken quickly we risk faltering on the road to 2030.

‘The recent backlash in the press will have done little to alleviate people’s concerns and it’s time for the Government to take a lead and come up with a joined up cross-Governmental approach focusing on education, financial incentives and clear infrastructure targets to help consumers make the switch with confidence.

‘The transition to electric cars is a critical issue, not only for the air we breathe in our towns and cities, but also for the wider economy and the UK automotive industry. Policy makers need to pull the plugs out of their ears and start listening to the concerns of drivers across the UK.’

Edmund King, president at the AA, added: ‘There is no doubt that the higher initial cost of EVs and charging difficulties, particularly for those without off-street parking, are putting off a significant proportion of drivers from being able to make the switch.

‘Financial incentives are needed to help ‘level up’ the affordability for those drivers not able to benefit from salary sacrifice or company car discounts. 

‘Once drivers are able to go electric they will enjoy the financial, driving and environmental benefits and will not look back.’

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