Government-enforced lockdowns across Europe are having a dramatic positive impact on people’s awareness of the benefits of reduced air pollution. A recent survey in the UK reveals that nearly half of drivers are now considering a switch to electric vehicles in the future.
Research carried out in the UK has revealed 45% of drivers surveyed are reconsidering their plans for electric vehicles due to the radical improvement on air pollution across the globe from reduced traffic.
Waze users globally are driving 60% fewer miles compared to the February daily average
In Italy, one of the first countries to be significantly impacted by the outbreak, driving has dropped more than 90%.
A further 17% said it reaffirmed the decision they had already made to make the switch to an EV.
Of the 45% of motorists who are now reassessing their EV options, 19% said their next company car or private purchase would be an EV, with the remaining 26% confirming they intend to become an EV driver in the next five years.
The latest survey also reveals that the public would like to see more done by the Governments and businesses to expedite the take up of EVs once there has been recovery from the Covid-19 crisis. This includes further investment in the charging infrastructure, the introduction of more charging Low Emission Zones in major cities and new legislation that supports businesses to move to fully electric company car or commercial vehicle fleets in the next five years.
In recent years the cost of electric vehicles have fallen as battery efficiency increased and the charging network has grown significantly. All of these steps boosts consumer confidence in an EV future. Most countries have a C02-related taxation with some kind of subsidising of EV vehicles. The TCO of EV is hence in most countries positive and fleet managers looking to introduce fully electric fleets could find employees are now more open to the idea of EV having seen the global benefits it could bring to the environment. Now is the time to start moving to EV. It takes about 4/5 years to change the mix of powertrains in your fleet. In the current speed of development that is a long time. EV is for the moment not the solution to every mobility need. Hence a proper well thought implementation plan and car policy change is crucial for its success.
Bart Vanham
