June 2021

D river interest in used EVs rose by 18.85% during 2020, even with the pandemic and the closure of car dealerships during lockdown periods, according to an analysis by AA Cars, the AA’s used car website. If you roll it back a bit further, since 2015, searches for EVs on the site have increased by 4,623%. If the rate of growth seen on the site up until 16 March remains constant through the year, AA Cars said it will grow by a further 42% during 2021. The growing interest seen by AA Cars in 2020 was reflected in real-world new car sales. While new car sales fell by 29.4% in 2020 in the UK, EV sales went up by 185.9%, and made up 6.6% of the total share, up from 1.6% in 2019. London had the highest number of searches for EVs in the country, with nearly 55,000 searches for EVs on AA Cars in 2019 and 2020. Bristol saw the second highest number of searches for EVs in 2019 and 2020, followed by Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool. Looking elsewhere in the country, drivers in Taunton made more than 2,200 searches for EVs in 2020, with interest up 1,395% compared to the previous year. Searches increased by 453% in Kingston upon Hull and 315% in Coventry Commenting on the findings, James Fairclough, CEO of AA Cars commented: “Interest in EVs and environmentally friendly vehicles has been growing at pace over recent years and has accelerated further still during the pandemic. The good news for drivers taking their first steps towards buying an EV is that there is an ever-growing fleet of 52 AFTERMARKET JUNE 2021 EV AND HYBRID VEHICLES www.aftermarketonline.net EVs and hybrids continue to capture the imagination of the public, while garages consider the practical implications going forward EV AND HYBRID VEHICLES electric cars coming onto the second-hand market.” Money beats planet on EV switch As mainstream drivers lean more towards EVs, financial considerations seem to be taking over from environmental concerns as the main incentive for buying one, with charging also shifting away from the home. According to a survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of CTEK, 52% of drivers are holding off on buying an EV specifically due to the cost. 24% of those surveyed said availability of subsidies is the biggest incentive for taking the plunge, although just 9% of existing EV drivers have taken advantage of a government subsidy. In contrast, 35% of cite the environment as their main reason for purchase. 90% of existing EV drivers are likely or very likely to buy an EV again, rising to 100% of 18-23-year olds. 33% of EV drivers said low running costs were the main reason for buying, but only 18% of non EV-drivers giving this as their main reason for considering the switch. The survey also reveals a gradual move away from home charging, with 68% of EV drivers preferring to charge their vehicles at home. 37% of EV drivers are now using public chargepoints, 12% are charging at work and 9% at petrol stations. The availability and reliability of the UK charging infrastructure remains a concern. While 74% of UK adults believe that EVs are the future of road travel, 78% feel the charging infrastructure is not adequate to support growth, compared with 65% in the other European countries surveyed. Above: Replacing an internal combustion engine with an electronic drivetrain means that drivers will be much more aware of vibrations from wheel and tyre assemblies