Automotive Business Magazine – Q2 2026 – Digital edition - Magazine - Page 38
OPI N I O N
R E TA I L
Electrifying the
automotive sector
→ Vicky Edmonds is chief executive officer at EVA England
T
he future of auto is electric.
Electric cars are the key to
clean air in our cities and to a
more resilient and sustainable
energy system. For those
households able to access
private charging, they are
proving significantly cheaper
and easier to run than petrol
and diesel cars.
Every single survey of our members has
shown that electric vehicle (EV) drivers
overwhelmingly enjoy owning and driving
their EV more than their previous petrol or
diesel car.
In fact, 95% would recommend an
EV from our last survey. And two thirds
of petrol and diesel drivers say they're
considering getting one as their next car.
The end of 2025 saw the UK electric car
market thriving, reflecting this increase in
consumer interest. Nearly a quarter of all
new car sales were fully electric – and a
third in December alone.
The UK’s zero emission vehicle (ZEV)
mandate and the parallel supporting
Electric Car Grant are key factors driving
this growth. However, we are also
seeing continued improvements in the
availability and reliability of public charge
points, giving more and more drivers the
confidence to switch to electric.
Consumer confidence
As we look to 2026, we cannot get
complacent. There are very real challenges
ahead, and turning that consumer interest
in EVs into actual purchases is not so easy.
Upfront costs remain a significant
hurdle, with half of EV drivers saying they
found their electric car substantially more
expensive to buy than their former petrol
or diesel car.
While up to 80% of overall car sales are
second-hand, fewer than a quarter of
EVs are bought in this used car market.
The used EV market is not yet attractive
or mature enough for consumers,
particularly on middle and low incomes.
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AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS Q2 2026
For drivers without driveways, half are
finding it more expensive to run their EV
than their former petrol or diesel car. On
top of that, misinformation at the point
of sale of electric cars is rife, and this is
damaging consumer confidence.
With all that in mind, it was a shock to
see the Government set out its intention
to introduce a new 'pay-per-mile' eVED
scheme for EVs, set to add more costs for
drivers from as early as 2028.
This was one of the Chancellor's biggest
calls in last year's Budget – and arguably
one of the riskiest, at a time where we
simply can't afford any decrease in driver
appetite for these cars.
Action by Government and industry
has, perhaps understandably, focused
on getting a nascent industry moving by
accelerating EV uptake in areas where
there are fewer barriers – among higher
income households with driveways. And
so, despite accelerating progress in
development of the sector, only 5% of the
wider driving population own an EV.
Now is the time to pivot and take action
to ensure drivers of all income levels, all
living circumstances, and all ages and
demographics, are given the support they
need to switch.
For the automotive sector, that means
incentivising the production of lower cost
models. It means offering salary sacrifice
schemes and car finance packages with
rates that are attractive to a wider range
of households. It means extending these
schemes to the used EV market.
Crucially, it means a genuine focus on
the customer sales experience, so that
drivers have a better understanding of the
capability of these cars, and how to use
and charge them.
With better recognition that there is
demand out there waiting to be unlocked,
and a concerted effort to address the
challenges preventing it, the UK can
become a genuine world leader in how to
deliver an electric market that works for
us all.
