Ministers should cut VAT on electricity for cars, give tenants the right to install charging points and make battery health checks part of MoT tests to boost electric vehicle use in the UK, the Government has been told.
British people are ready to ditch petrol and diesel cars for electric vehicles (EVs) but they will need incentives to do so amid concerns over cost, argue the authors of a new report, shared with i.
The Government has been urged to introduce measures to ease the green transition for motorists – rather than just ramping up taxes for those who don’t – to hit the country’s wider net zero targets.
A new policy paper highlighted polling showing that most people looking to buy a new car are considering switching to an electric vehicle or a hybrid.
But concerns over cost and accessibility risk holding potential buyers back from doing so.
Incentives for electric vehicles, such as tax cuts for electric charging and ensuring renters have the right to charge their vehicle, would encourage people to make the change, the report by the centre-right think tank Onward argued.
The report, looking at the UK’s transition to EVs, contains polling, carried out by More in Common, showing enthusiasm for electric and hybrid vehicles among those looking to buy a new car.
Of those planning to buy a new car within the next year, 37 per cent think their next motor will be electric compared with 24 per cent who say they will stick with petrol and diesel.
And most (61 per cent) of all drivers think the next new car they buy will be electric or hybrid.
On top of that electric vehicles are popular among those who already drive a hybrid, with just 4 per cent saying they would go back to pure petrol or diesel cars.
In the second-hand car market, however, there is considerably more hesitancy about opting for an electric or hybrid vehicle.
The data shows a slim majority (53 per cent) looking to buy a used car next say they will stick with petrol and diesel motors.
And there are lingering concerns about the affordability and convenience of electric cars.
A majority of people (58 per cent) without electric cars are worried about charging and around half shared fears over the upfront cost (52 per cent) and difficulty making long journeys (50 per cent).
Two-thirds of drivers (66 per cent) also think petrol and diesel cars are better value for money and more reliable.
The report’s author, Ned Hammond, argued the Government could be doing more to reassure motorists who are considering transitioning.
And he said ministers must consider bringing forward electric vehicle-friendly measures – such as cutting VAT on public charging points from 20 per cent to 5 per cent – if they are to hit the UK’s Net Zero targets.
He called for a “right to charge” to enable leaseholders and tenants to install charging points and said interest free loans for houses without off-street should be introduced to install charging gullies.
To improve the used car market, the report suggested making electric vehicle battery health checks standard during MoTs to give drivers the confidence to buy second hand.
Mr Hammond, head of Energy and Environment at Onward, said: “More and more motorists are ready to switch to electric vehicles. But most drivers who are yet to switch are put off by range anxiety, charging worries, and the upfront cost.
“If the UK is going to meet its net zero goals and improve energy security, we need more policies to help drivers go green.
“That doesn’t mean forcing or taxing motorists into electric vehicles but making switching easier while the market develops better and cheaper electric cars.
“Simple things like slashing unfair VAT costs on public charging, a right to charge for tenants and leaseholders, reducing planning barriers to charger installations, and adding battery health tests to MoTs could cut running costs, boost charging availability, and raise confidence in EVs for second-hand car buyers.”
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