A new report outlines in details government policies required to support the uptake of electric vehicles, and serves as a guide for international fleet operators trying to assess the EV readiness of different countries.
The report by the Zemo Partnership, an independent non-profit that works with government to help shape future policy, makes a series of recommendations to sustain and accelerate the adoption of zero emission vehicles.
Decarbonising UK Road Transport: Map of Missing Policies, calls for the reintroduction of a purchase grant to offset the higher acquisition costs of EVs, but targeted at more affordable models.
It also recommends the introduction of grants for used electric cars for the next five years, a move that would support the residual values of ex-fleet EVs and help the drivers of secondhand cars transition to battery power.
Subsidised lease rates for lower income groups – so-called social leasing, which has proved hugely popular in France – should also be explored, said the Zemo Partnership.
It also wants to see grants to subsidise the purchase of electric light commercial vehicles, which it says can be between 20% and 50% more expensive to buy than diesel equivalents. This should be backed up by grants to support buyers of used electric vans, shoring up eLCV residual values which have fallen by 50% over the last two years in the UK.
With eLCV charging also proving to be a barrier to uptake, the report calls for a five-year funding framework to help fleets install depot charging infrastructure.
Neil Stockley, the report author, said the road transport landscape is changing dramatically in a short time-frame.
“It’s vitally important that policy development keeps pace with this changing landscape,” he said, in order for net zero transport to continue to thrive.
