PROGRESS IN THE UK ELECTRIC VEHICLE INDUSTRY
Catherine Hutt, Business Development Manager – Electric Vehicles Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Ltd
The UK is in a very strong position with regard to the Electric Vehicle market: home-grown technical expertise is being applied to an area of the industry which is receiving significant government support and producing vehicles for an emerging market.
Despite a number of false dawns, the UK automotive industry is now operating with a set of unprecedented conditions. Government support, industry supply and consumer demand are three elements required for any new market to succeed. In the past the UK has boasted one or two of these elements, but now has all three at once: 1. Government understanding of the market, recognition of its potential to contribute to the UK economy and willingness to support the emerging market are greater than ever. This is true of national and local government, which creates an extremely powerful force.
2. Industry is in a position to supply low carbon solutions as the technology is now ready for development.
3. Consumer awareness and acceptance of low carbon and high tech products is at an all time high and growing, which, coupled with high oil prices and
incentives to kick start the low carbon vehicle market, means the crucial element of ‘demand’ is in place.
The combination of these three elements, government support, supply and demand, is exceptional and is the reason why UK industry believes low carbon vehicles now have a viable future.
In addition to these three factors, which could be true of any country, the UK has a unique advantage – it is a small country. This means it is less expensive to install a national infrastructure network and that the distances travelled are relatively short, which reduces the issue of range. What’s more, the UK has an extremely high proportion of niche vehicles (sports cars, bespoke vehicles, kit cars etc) and so the UK public is familiar with different looking vehicles. Although often overlooked, these elements set the UK apart and have a considerable role to play in the uptake and growth of the electric vehicle market.
Consumer perception of electric vehicles in the UK, however, hasn’t always been positive and still requires some improvement. Thanks to milk floats and early electric vehicles, which had low performance and design specifications, the UK public will need some convincing before seriously considering buying an electric car. SMMT produced the Electric Car Guide in 2010 to answer a number of frequently asked questions and vehicle manufacturers are striving to educate car owners about the alternative technology. Government’s announcement of the Plug-In Car Grant has also improved the perception and a Glass’s Guide survey revealed the percentage of people who would consider owning a hybrid or pure-electric vehicle rose from 9% in July 2010 to 53% in January 2011.
In truth, it is only the experience of electric vehicles which will sell them. Until consumers drive alternative fuelled vehicles they will remain sceptical. Fortunately, a number of events are being planned so that the general public can test drive alternatively fuelled vehicles. This will reassure consumers that alternatively fuelled vehicles are ‘real’ and could be their future choice of vehicle.
Numerous articles and reports herald 2011 as ‘the year of the Electric Vehicle’. However, this should come with a health warning to manage expectations. It would be unrealistic to expect electric vehicles to match, let alone exceed, the number of traditional vehicles
|42| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
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