Drive towards electric vehicles coming down the road fast

Driving

2 min read

Drive towards electric vehicles coming down the road fast

The drive towards electric vehicles is coming down the road and faster than first thought, with the government likely to bring the proposed ban on the sale of petrol, diesel and hybrid cars forward from 2040 to 2035.

Prime Minister, Boris Johnson announced the new timeline earlier this year, but Labour believe 2030 is an ‘ambitious but achievable’ target and has urged the government to jump once again.

Westminster is locked into its commitment to reaching net zero greenhouse emissions by 2050 and reducing the carbon footprint from our roads forms a key part of achieving this.

After a relatively slow uptake from consumers, the sales of pure-electric cars are beginning to really ramp up. Sales have gone from 7,704 in the UK in September 2019 to 21,903 in September 2020 – an increase of 184%.

To date in 2020, there have been 66,611 electric car sales in the UK, up from 25,097 at this point in 2019, with electric cars now enjoying a 6.7% share of new sales.

This trend looks set to continue. A recent survey of 17,628 motorists for ITV’s Tonight programme found that 47% would consider an electric car as their next vehicle.

Earlier concerns with electric vehicles around range anxiety, price and the number of charging points are starting to become less prevalent as the technology improves.

In Northern Ireland there are 334 charging points with more on the way and for homeowners there are grants of up to £350 available from the government for the installation of home charging points.

Beyond the environmental benefits, early adopters of the new technology can enjoy government support to get them on the road. Currently the government contributes up to £3000 in grants towards new electric cars through the Plug-in grant.

Further savings come in the form of low running costs and no road tax charges. It is estimated that a petrol/diesel car will cost approximately £1,200 to run compared to just £300 for an electric car based on mileage of 10,000.

Difficulties in obtaining replacement parts has also been a concern however, as the industry develops this is becoming less of an issue. For example, Tesla has bought a site on Belfast’s Boucher Road with plans to include a service centre here. Currently Tesla only has a service centre in Dublin along with 10 others in Britain.

There is also the insurance element of buying an electric car for the first time to think about.

As Northern Ireland’s biggest insurance broker, AbbeyAutoline can connect with our large panel of insurers from across the UK and Europe to tailor a policy to suit your needs.

Generally insuring an electric car is much the same process as a standard vehicle, with value and group factors impacting the premium. It is worth noting that electric vehicles are often in higher value when it comes to price.

Electric cars can be insured under standard policies and do not require specialist policies. Our expert team will find the right policy, saving you time and energy which can be devoted to enjoying your new electric vehicle.

With 22 branches across Northern Ireland our teams are never far when you need us most. We’re not only there when you need to renew a policy or get a quote, instead we take the time to develop relationships with our clients and if you need to make a claim our experts can guide you through the process.

To find out more about how the team at AbbeyAutoline can help you, call 08000 66 55 44.