For Wales to meet its net zero targets, it needs to find a way of decarbonising approximately 2 million vehicles. There are strategies in place to get more people onto public transport and active travel, but that still leaves a huge number of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles in circulation, emitting carbon that worsens our air quality, affecting our environment and health.
Unfortunately, Wales lags behind the rest of the UK when it comes to EV adoption, partly due to socio-economic demographics and partly due to rurality leading to poor provision of charging points.
So, what can Wales realistically do to make this transition faster, and easier?
- Charging, charging, charging!
The biggest barrier for most people when considering the transition to EV is concerns over charging. It’s certainly getting better with new chargers being placed across the country every day, but it’s still slowing adoption. Welsh Government have now recognised the issue and have set a target of installing 30,000 – 55,000 new public chargers by 2030. A great solution can be lamp-column chargers, which minimise disruption by being quick to install and discreet on pavements.
- Continue to champion the move to zero carbon
Wales has shown some great ambition for being a global leader on climate change and needs to continue this strength in the global arena, continuing to speak up for the most important issues of our times.
- Stick firm on the phase-out dates (and watch out for sneaky imports!)
The phase-out date is the date by when it will be illegal to sell new ICE cars. Whilst the previous government wavered, it’s good to see Labour have re-committed to the 2030 date, which Wales have been supportive of.
What we need to watch out for is older ICE cars sneaking into the country as an off-market, cheaper option, likely to infiltrate poorer communities. It would be great to see Wales looking at a policy to de-incentivise this from happening.
- Scrappage scheme
Despite prices coming down rapidly on newer EVs, with prices now similar to new ICE cars especially if you add in fuel costs, there’s no hiding away from the fact that you can still pick up a very cheap second-hand ICE car.
For people on lower incomes, we need to find a way of incentivising the move to an EV. This could be as simple as offering a cashback option for people scrapping their older cars to use the money to buy an EV. This could be funded by forms of road user charging, or changes to the outdated vehicle taxation rules.
- And what can you do?
Societal change starts with individuals doing something different, and that means you. Here are a few things you can consider:
- Start looking at your own transition: You may well find that the upfront costs will save you money over the medium term. You’ll also be surprised at the range and charging times of many of the new EV cars, so get out there and find out!
- Look at your workforce options: Speak to your employer about a salary sacrifice scheme, installing a charging point at work, and ask if they have a transition plan for their own fleet. They may already have one in place, you just may not know about it!
- Keep talking: The more conversations people have about reducing their emissions, the more organisations that start addressing their own emissions, and the sooner people will realise that changing the cars they use is one of the best ways of acting.
At FleetEV, we’re here to help with realistic options, advice and charging support, and as a Welsh company we’re aiming to ensure profits stay in Wales, feeding a local supply chain and adding genuine value to the communities in which we serve.
Get in touch today to find out how we can help you make the move to EV.