Exclusive interview with Ben Nelmes, as EVs soar past the half a million mark

Over half a million battery electric cars on UK roads – and counting!

I’m pleased to see September’s data for new registrations of electric cars is encouraging, not least of all against the backdrop of global turmoil on many fronts.?

This week, I caught up exclusively with Ben Nelmes, Chief Executive of New AutoMotive on the trajectory for electric car sales in the UK, and invited his views on the key policy levers that are needed to sustain the uptake.

Ben, what can you tell us about the latest EV uptake figures?

"Around 17% of new cars sold in September were fully electric, which represents steady growth since September 2021 when 15% of new cars were fully electric. The UK has seen a collapse in sales of diesel cars, from around half the?market five?years ago to around 10% today. Petrol looks to be about to follow suit as electric cars grow, led by hybrids.

“There are now over half a million fully electric cars on?the road, which is great news. However, the UK has 33 million cars, and it will be a long time before these are all replaced with electric, zero emissions cars. Transport is the UK’s dirtiest sectors, and is responsible for the largest chunk of UK greenhouse gas emissions, so it is vital the government looks for ways to use electric cars to reduce?demand for fuel (and therefore emissions) in the quickest way possible. At New AutoMotive, we would like to see the government try to?persuade drivers who do the most miles to switch first."

How is UK EV uptake doing against the backdrop of supply chain issues, the energy crisis and ongoing war in Ukraine?

“The global car industry is facing a set of severe headwinds just now; global supply chains caused by lockdowns in China and the war in Ukraine are delaying deliveries, and?the cost of living crisis is hitting consumer demand. However, the UK’s transition to EVs is doing well. Sales of EVs are strong, and demand from consumers is stronger. We see consumers increasingly keen to get their?hands on EVs, and car manufacturers struggling to produce enough EVs to meet demand."

What one policy lever has had the most impact in supporting BEV uptake?

“The low or zero rate of company car tax applied to BEVs has been the most influential policy so far, although?the plug-in car grant has also had a big?impact. Going forward, the?government will?have to find ways to ensure?that there is enough supply?to meet consumer demand for electric vehicles, either by attracting a bigger supply of electric vehicles to the UK or by incentivising?the development of battery?manufacturing in the UK.”?

So what remains to be done – what one policy lever do we need to see sustained, or indeed introduced, to maintain momentum and accelerate the mass transition to EV?

“Ministers are in the process of introducing targets for?manufacturers to sell a growing number of EVs every year. That policy is really important to get the supply of electric cars?that UK motorists want, but also to give investors in battery manufacturing and?charge point infrastructure the certainty they need to invest. Getting that policy right would?have a range of benefits: more electric cars, lower emissions, more UK jobs, and less reliance on expensive imported fossil fuels.”??

And finally, what one thing would you say to people who are thinking about making the switch to an electric car?

“Consider how much you drive each year. The more miles you do, the more attractive an EV is because the per-mile cost of running an EV is significantly cheaper than for a petrol or diesel car. If you do a lot?of miles, the bigger upfront cost of buying an EV will be repaid faster and you will also be making a bigger?contribution to reducing the UK’s emissions if you make the?switch."

Check out New AutoMotive’s Electric Car Count for the latest market data.

Majority of electric car drivers will never return to the ICE age

Electric car love at first sight – 61% decide immediately never to return to a petrol or diesel car.

According to a recent survey, electric car drivers are in for the long road ahead, with 61% saying that the decision never to go back to a petrol or diesel car was immediate, once they made the switch to an electric vehicle (EV). Of the 1,039 EV drivers that responded to the survey, 18% reported that they made the decision never to return to an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle after a few days, 11% after a week or two, and 10% within one year. In fact, according to the comments, some decided never to go back to ICE even before taking delivery of their electric car.

Let’s unpack the reasons why.

The drive experience of electric cars stands out as one of the reasons, with one respondent noting that their mind was made up on “The test drive. It was just sooooo nice to drive.” And for someone else, “First taste of instant acceleration at a set of lights.”

Test drives have a lot to answer for as well. I’ve been involved in hundreds of EV test drives over the years, and without exception people emerge from that first go in an electric car with a big smile on their face. As one survey respondent says after their first electric test drive: “I’ll be honest I didn’t want to give them the keys back.” And one of my favourite comments sums it up perfectly: “It took the first 3 meters [sic] not minutes!” to decide not to go back to an ICE car.

Costs are naturally a key factor. We know from LV= research that 45% of people are put off buying an electric car due to higher upfront costs, so it’s encouraging to see that the costs can stack up with an EV. As one commentator puts it: “I had done my research and it worked out quite a bit cheaper than running diesel. Maths were simpler for me though as I had free charging at work.” Someone else comments that they bought their electric car “partly for the idea I’d save some money. Keeping for all the other benefits – responsiveness, cooling/heating before you get in (invaluable in recent weeks), charging at home (I know not everyone can) and just generally super easy to live with.”

The LV= Electric Car Cost Index found that running costs are 47% lower for EVs, with seven of thirteen electric cars that were compared with their petrol or diesel counterparts better value over a four-year lease term, and all thirteen better value over seven years of outright ownership. It certainly pays to look at all of the costs involved – from purchase (or lease) cost, to charging or fuel, maintenance, insurance and charging.

Going off-piste a little, one comment that offers great insight into how driving style impacts range is worth a mention: “I have 2 x 2015 electric vehicles and the batteries show no signs of degrading. I think as you get better at driving them you cancel out the degrading. My Peugeot Partner Van had 50-mile range when I picked it up – it now shows 89 miles 1 year later (the previous owner floored it).”

It’s not all rosy, of course. There are people who have gone back to petrol or diesel, with public charging costs and reliability of charging infrastructure cited as reasons why. But, for the vast majority of EV drivers, there are zero regrets. Electric cars offer lower running costs, and the convenience of waking up to a full battery whenever you need it (if you can charge at home), a great drive experience, and zero tailpipe emissions for a cleaner air quality future.

To discover more about electric cars, leasing, home charging and insurance, head over to ElectriX. We're here to help.

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Written by Gill Nowell for ElectriX.?