{"id":43119,"date":"2024-02-06T11:29:31","date_gmt":"2024-02-06T11:29:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=43119"},"modified":"2024-02-08T13:50:33","modified_gmt":"2024-02-08T13:50:33","slug":"uk-government-must-act-now-drive-ev-sales-adoption","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/uk-government-must-act-now-drive-ev-sales-adoption\/43119\/","title":{"rendered":"UK Government must act now to drive EV sales and adoption, says House of Lords report"},"content":{"rendered":"
Published today, the report has warned that the UK is not on track to achieve it’s EV transition and climate goals, with various barriers on the road preventing motorists from adopting EVs.<\/p>\n
The Environment and Climate Change Committee explained that a combination of higher purchasing costs, a lack of charging infrastructure<\/a>, and mixed messaging is hampering EV sales.<\/p>\n Baroness Parminter, Chair of the inquiry, commented: “The evidence we received shows the government must do more to get people to adopt EVs.<\/p>\n “If it fails to heed our recommendations, the UK won’t reap the significant benefits of better air quality and will lag in the slow lane for tackling climate change.”<\/p>\n Despite the essential introduction of the ZEV mandate<\/a> and investments in the nation’s manufacturing capabilities and support for local authorities, such as the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, the report calls for accelerated government action.<\/p>\n The discrepancy between the prices of new EVs and petrol and diesel cars is seen as a major barrier hampering EV sales, with targeted grants to incentivise motorists to adopt EVs suggested by the committee.<\/p>\n After gathering evidence from its Youth Engagement Programme, the committee has produced strategy recommendations to increase EV adoption.<\/p>\n The report calls on the government to investigate strategies to encourage second-hand EV sales, such as establishing a ‘battery health standard’.<\/p>\n Revamping road tax policies to provide transparency on future driving expenses is also suggested, as well as standardising VAT rates by reducing the public VAT charging from 20% to 5%, aligning it with domestic electricity rates.<\/p>\n Additionally, effectively communicating a positive outlook on the transition to electric vehicles to consumers and advocating for accessible, transparent, and precise information has been advised.<\/p>\n Another crucial aspect hampering EV uptake<\/a> identified in the report is insufficient charging infrastructure.<\/p>\n The committee recommends extending the LEVI funding for three more years and consultations on offering a ‘right to charge’ for tenants and leaseholders in multi-occupancy buildings.<\/p>\nGaps in the UK’s electric vehicle strategy<\/h3>\n
How to increase EV adoption<\/h3>\n
Improvements needed to charging infrastructure<\/h3>\n