A lot of people in the UK believe that the future is electric cars and that we're going to be at the forefront of the electric car and the autonomous vehicle revolution. But a recent report from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (EAMA) does suggest differently.
In the first quarter of this year, France and Germany registered 10,569 and 15,944 fully electric vehicles respectively; while the UK figure was just 5,997.
Factors such as the pricing of electric vehicles and that the UK Government has cut subsidies for pure electric cars from £4,500 to £3,500 certainly haven’t helped the UK in going electric.
The UK has had some success with electric vehicles, particularly with the Nissan Leaf selling well. As a country, we still produce high performance but low volume cars (Mclaren & Aston Martin). However, with UK based Dyson building their first EV in Singapore and the announcement that Honda is shutting their Swindon plant in 2021, I do question if we’re falling behind our European friends?
Only one in four people would consider buying a fully electric car in the next five years. That is the finding of one of the most comprehensive studies into UK consumers and pure electric vehicles. There has been a renewed focus on the climate and environment recently. The reluctance of British drivers to embrace cleaner electric technology could be seen as a concern for those who want to move towards a low carbon future at a faster pace.
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