Electric car range remains ‘one of the biggest concerns’ for UK drivers

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At the end of April 2023, there were over 760,000 fully electric vehicles on the road, with hundreds of thousands of plug-in hybrid vehicles also on the bloc.

More than 265,000 battery-electric cars were registered in 2022, an impressive growth of 40 percent compared to sales in 2021.

This is a significant growth in sales compared to even a few years ago. In 2016, just over 30,000 electric vehicles were sold over 12 months.

Farhad Tailor, Managing Director at V12 Sports and Classics, spoke to Express.co.uk about the transition to electric cars and what needs to be done to ensure motorists have the confidence to switch.

He said: “EVs are a fantastic alternative to Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles and have the potential to benefit most drivers.

“One of the biggest concerns potential customers have when considering an electric vehicle is the range. 

“It’s mainly those rare, infrequent journeys – that exceed the vehicle’s range capacity – that become a hindrance for drivers, such as road trips and long-distance travel for holidays.”

Zapmap data shows public charging to be growing at a consistent pace, although some fear that it may not be expanding as quickly as it needs to.

There are 42,566 electric vehicle charging points across the UK, as of April 2023, across almost 25,000 locations – a 37 percent increase since last year.

While estimates vary, it is understood that the UK will need around 300,000 electric vehicle chargers by the end of this decade.

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A new organisation, ChargeUK, has pledged to double the number of EV chargers by the end of the year in a bid to kickstart investment in different sectors and give drivers the confidence to switch.

Mr Tailor continued, saying: “The EV charging infrastructure in many regions across the UK is still not adequate to alleviate this concern.

“It’s also a well-known fact that the cold weather can significantly reduce an EVs battery range, so it’s vital when making the investment that real-life range is considered.”

According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the choice of battery electric vehicles has quadrupled over the last five years.

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In addition to personal and family vehicles, fleets are also benefitting from the switch to electric vehicles, especially given the high emissions from the sector.

There are now more than 50 models of zero emission trucks, vans and buses available for purchase.

This is bolstered by the Plug-in Van Grant available from the Government which could help businesses switch to electric.

With this, people can get up to £25,000 off vehicles which can travel a sufficient distance without producing any emissions from the tailpipe.

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