In a recent post, we explored the growing demand for EV vehicles within the UK and the impact that it may have on the country’s infrastructure, as we move forward towards the net zero goal laid out for 2050.
The spread of the coronavirus could in fact accelerate this change, namely on the EV front, and appears to be driving a greater effort in ensuring infrastructure is ready for our growing EV demand.
The automotive industry has taken a big hit during this period of time. Expectations are that the wider market may see a drop of around 15% due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, but within that, similar expectations suggest the electric vehicle market will either remain steady or be up a little on last year’s figures. As a result, it is forecast to make up around 3% of all vehicle sales – and alongside this are plans to extend the EV charging network within the UK by almost a third, according to predictions.
This change could lead to the wider spread acceptance of electric vehicles as a whole – although there are still some holdouts. In a survey, we asked if the general public are more receptive to the idea of using an electric vehicle after seeing the impact of COVID-19 on the environment, but over half said they weren’t:
This is largely due to restrictions on charging and battery capacity. Of those asked, 45% and 39% respectively suggested that their reasons for not buying an EV are because the availability for charging is limited, and that distance travelled per charge wasn’t high enough. If the charging network is expanded following predictions, this could make big waves in bridging the gap for many and be a catalyst for expanding the market even further – thus accelerating the timeline to reach the country’s goal.
With a renewed focus on climate change and clean, sustainable energy choices following the coronavirus outbreak, now is a perfect opportunity to make changes. To see how Utility Trade Group’s EV charging solutions can help you, get in touch today to do your part in reducing our climate impact.
