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Sales of electric vehicles are rising - RAC comment and data
Following the news that sales of battery electric vehicles are rising, against a backdrop of lower overall new car sales, RAC head of external affairs Pete Williams said:
“We are getting close to a tipping point where buying an electric vehicle is an increasingly credible option for many. The factors that influence choice are beginning to line up to make an electric vehicle (EV) a wise option for many drivers including: a greater, more diverse range of vehicles; significantly improved battery range; and an improving charging infrastructure. Ultimately price is the biggest sticking point although prices will begin to fall as demand grows.
“Our latest RAC Report on Motoring found that one in ten drivers would consider purchasing a pure electric vehicle (3%) or a plug-in hybrid (7%) as their next car, and 17% would consider a conventional hybrid. Those saying they would go for a conventionally-fuelled vehicle are in decline with 52% opting for a petrol engine and 18% for a diesel. Two-thirds of drivers (67%) say they would require a minimum EV range of at least 300 miles between charging, and half (50%) said the maximum time to fully recharge a vehicle mid-journey would have to be no more than 30 minutes.”
“A third (36%) of drivers see themselves buying a pure electric vehicle within the next 10 years and half (49%) within 15 years. So the RAC is gearing itself up to deal with higher volumes of EVs on our roads, including equipping some patrol vans with new lightweight EV Boost portable chargers.”
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About the RAC
The RAC provides complete peace of mind to 12m UK private and business drivers, whatever their motoring needs. Its services include:
- Breakdown assistance. Its highly-skilled, 1,600-strong branded patrol workforce attends more than two million breakdowns every year, fixing on average four out of five vehicles at the roadside. The RAC’s patrol fleet is one of the most advanced in the UK, and was the first to roll out both an All-Wheels-Up recovery system, allowing the vast majority of vehicles to be recovered from a single patrol van, and EV Boost mobile electric vehicle charging units
- Insurance. The RAC is a top-five car insurance broker having surpassed the 500,000 policies-in-force milestone in 2018. It also offers ‘black box’ telematics policies, as well as home and travel insurance
- Other motoring services. The RAC leads in the development of new solutions for business, fleets, electric vehicles and future car technology. Its additional products and services include a personal loans offering, a used car buying website, vehicle inspections and checks, legal services or up-to-the-minute traffic and travel information. It also has a network of Approved Dealers and Approved Garages which combine the trust of RAC brand with local service and convenience
The RAC also works to support the interests of its members and UK drivers on the most important motoring issues which it identifies via the annual RAC Report on Motoring and the RAC Opinion Panel. The Report on Motoring is the longest running analysis of driver opinion in the UK having been published every year since 1989.
For more information about the RAC, visit the RAC website.
