Cost and operational simplicity are key to electric vehicle take-up says SMMT expert panel
Tue 12 June 2012
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Product cost and the simplicity of ownership of electric vehicles as well as better consumer understanding are keys to take-up of electric and hybrid vehicles according to a panel of experts speaking at the SMMT International Automotive Summit in a session chaired by What Car? Editory-in-Chief, Chas Hallett.
In his introduction, Thierry Koskas, Global Head of Electric Vehicles at Renault, said that “those who think customers buy electric vehicles solely because they’re green will be sorely disappointed”.
Bethan Carver, Manager of Product Development at EDF and Dr Ben Lane, Director of transport consultancy STS and publisher of the website Nest Green Car cited research showing that motorists focus heavily on the day-to-day costs of motoring, such as refuelling and actually find the procedure of charging vehicles at home, off-peak, perfectly convenient, suggesting that the extent of public and on-street charging infrastructure is far from being the largest obstacle to EV ownership. And with the majority of motorists only travelling around 30 miles per day, electric vehicles with a 100 mile-plus range are often wholly adequate for consumers.
With an education programme on the safety of home-charging under way, growing appreciation of the technological features of new ultra-low carbon vehicles and the pleasurable driving experience they offer – electric vehicles that provide high levels of torque and acceleration – panelists expressed confidence that these vehicles can be the mass market models of the future.
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