Aftermarket November 2022

NOVEMBER 2022 AFTERMARKET 59 www.aftermarketonline.net ssociation ent A quipm ge E a e Gar Th 5 e 194 c ds sin dar y stan dustr s of In older e Uph d ! ar ation c ed it r or his ac f gin our e n y Ask eer c IS Y . Y ent A For peace of mind always use a Garage Equipm ssociation member. GEA accredited engineers work to an industry code of conduct our assurance their skills and knowledge have been independently assessed. OUR EQUIPMENT ENGINEER GEA ACCREDITED? Th .c www.gea o.uk xpDat GEA ACCREDITED ENGINEER Name Company Discipline E e IDNumber XX123456 XX123456 XX123456 XX123456 XX123456 to investigate EVs and research how certain systems perform. Our new garage facility can find faults with standard equipment and utilise this new knowledge to develop more robust references for the ever- expanding cohort of EVs within the UK vehicle parc.” Following the introduction of the new garage facility, SMP Europe will soon be offering technical training on electric vehicles, with participants able to complete work to Level 3 certification. EV charging costs up 42% since May The cost of charging an EV at a public charge point increased by 42% since May by September, putting the cost of running an EV on a similar level to a petrol-engine vehicle on a per-mile basis, which could deter drivers from switching the RAC warned. According to the organisation, a family-sized electric car to 80% will now cost ￡ 32.41 to rapid charge, up ￡ 9.60 since May and ￡ 13.59 compared to a year ago. If a driver only uses rapid charge points, they will now be paying around 18p per mile, compared with 19p per mile for a petrol car and 21p per mile for a diesel car.However for EV drivers that charge at home, the cost-per-mile is around 9p and the cost to charge a car to 80% adds up to the lower sum of ￡ 17.87. RAC EV spokesman Simon Williams said: “For those that have already made the switch to an electric car or are thinking of doing so, it remains the case that charging away from home costs less than refuelling a petrol or diesel car, but these figures show that the gap is narrowing as a result of the enormous increases in the cost of electricity. These figures very clearly show that it’s drivers who use public rapid and ultra-rapid chargers the most who are being hit the hardest. The Energy Price Guarantee benefits those drivers who are fortunate enough to charge their cars at home, but for those that rely on the public charging network, including those without driveways, it’s a much bleaker picture right now. “Charge point operators got behind the RAC-backed FairCharge campaign in calling for the government to end the inequity that exists between drivers who can charge at home and those that cannot, by cutting the 20% VAT charged on electricity at public chargers to match the 5% domestic rate. The government needs to redouble its efforts in helping drivers to go electric if it is to meet its own net-zero transport objectives and levelling the public and domestic electricity VAT rates would show it is serious about doing so at a time when household budgets are getting ever tighter.” Quentin Willson, founder of the FairCharge campaign, added: “With electricity costs up by an average of 140% on last year and the Government’s divisive VAT levy of 20% on public charging, EV adoption is under threat. This government needs to act on charging costs, cap rises on public chargers, lower VAT and support charge point operators to build infrastructure. If they don’t, all those years of promises of a zero- emission future, clean air and energy independence will have come to nothing.” Used car buyer Interest in EVs up by a third since May Used car buyer interest in EVs has risen by a third since May, according to the latest results from the Startline Used Car Tracker. Each month, consumers are asked about their used car fuel preference. For September, 23% opted for electric, up from 17% in May when the question was originally asked.57% agreed with the statement that EVs are “the future” while 38% said “it is right for the environment.” However, only 4% concurred with the statement “electric vehicles are now affordable.” During the period, preference for petrol has from 39% to 33%. Diesel remained steady at 18%, along with hybrids at 27%. Trust in internal combustion engine technology was cited by 52% of those who opted for petrol and diesel. A further 38% also agreed with the statement “electric vehicles are too expensive.” Startline Motor Finance CEO Paul Burgess observed: “Obviously, we expect to see interest in EVs increase over time because it is the long-term direction in which the market is heading. However, it is interesting to see how consumer sentiment is shifting on an almost month-by- month basis in the Tracker. You can see a fairly rapid change in perceptions of both the cost of EVs and the technology behind them. How these are translating into actual used EV sales is difficult to say. Supply of these vehicles is even more constrained than the rest of the used car market and whatever EVs dealers can get hold of, they can sell.” He added: “What our finding perhaps does suggest is that there is growing interest for the future and when used EV supply does start to improve, the demand should be there to support it.” www.aftermarketonline.net