EV surge expected – study

Improved air pollution levels during COVID-19 restrictions could result in an EV surge, a United Kingdom study has found.

The latest research by online parking portal YourParkingSpace.co.uk discovered that four-in-10 people are more likely to purchase an EV in the future as a direct result of the lockdown which has seen fewer vehicles on the road, resulting in less pollution.

Indeed, the findings correspond to April’s car sales which, although dramatically down due to UK government restrictions, saw the Tesla Model 3 as the UK’s best-selling car and EVs take a record 32% market share.

“The lockdown has changed nearly every aspect of life, including less vehicles and traffic fumes, and our study would indicate that this will result in a surge in popularity towards electric vehicles,” YourParkingSpace.co.uk managing director Harrison Woods says.

“While plug-in cars have been growing in popularity over the last few years, seeing and feeling the benefits of less pollution means we will probably see many more EVs on the roads of Britain sooner rather than later.”

YourParkingSpace.co.uk lists almost 4000 private spaces where EV owners can pay to park and charge their vehicle simultaneously.

It is adding more on a daily basis which will help cope with the anticipated surge in demand should EV sales skyrocket.

Meanwhile, other findings from the survey of 3000 YourParkingSpace.co.uk users also revealed a slight increase in the number of people who believed that walking and cycling would be their main form of transport in the future.

“Whether it’s a switch to EVs or an increase in walking and cycling, the UK looks set to be a more environmentally friendly place in the future,” Woods says.

“The good news for current and future EV owners is that charge points are increasingly available, for instance whether that’s at motorway service stations, supermarkets or on driveways available to rent.”