EV sales fall by a third

Recent industry figures show the number of electric cars sold in Britain has fallen by a third since the start of the year.

It seems concerns about cost, limited battery range and a lack of roadside charging points are putting motorists off, despite government’s ambitions to phase out diesel/petrol cars by 2040 to tackle air pollution.

However, new research by OVO Energy has found that drivers would be more likely to choose electric cars over petrol or diesel if they knew about vehicle-to-grid technology that could cut their energy bills and save them money in the long term; turning their vehicles into virtual power stations. This tech would help owners of the existing Nissan LEAF electric cars on UK roads today contribute more than 114 MW to our stressed national grid; enough to power more than 300,000 homes.

But an overwhelming knowledge gap is preventing consumers from harnessing the very technology that would help achieve their cost-cutting and energy efficiency aims in the long term.

The research found that more than half of Brits (51%) would choose an electric car over petrol or diesel if they could save money or make money in the long-term; almost half of Brits prioritise energy consumption (49%) and money-saving potential (42%) when considering sustainable products and services, trumping concerns about reducing environmental footprint (39%); but less than a fifth are aware of vehicle-to-grid chargers (13%) and home batteries (19%) that could cut our bills whilst boosting a stressed grid; and two in five (38%) UK adults that own or intend to purchase a car in the next 12 months, and were not aware that you could purchase this type of charger, would be more likely to buy an electric vehicle if they could use their car as a virtual power station.