Following last week’s government announcement of £5,000 electric vehicle (EVs) subsidies, leading electric car retailer, evstores have confirmed a huge growth in enquiries for their electric MyCar city vehicle.
Last week the UK Government announced a purchase subsidy of up to £5,000 for every electric car available from 2011. Despite concerns that the announcement of the subsidy would in fact kill interest in the current generation of electric cars, many of which are not expected to eligible for the grant, evstores has reported that the news has boosted the interest in electric cars among the car-buying public. The subsidy is set to come into place in 2011, as the Government believe this is when eligible plug-in hybrids and long range electric cars will become mass-marketed. Many of the current generation of electric cars have a driving range of less than 50mph and many are not even classified as cars, but simply quadricycles. The Government is to set strict criteria on the driving range and safety standards of the electric cars which buyers will be able to use the subsidy against.
But evstores based in Mayfair, London and MyCar, Micro-Vett, Tazzari vehicles and e-max scooters seem buoyed by the investment into the electric car sector.
Says co-founder Evert Geurtsen: “Buyers do not need to wait until 2011 because electric cars are available now and already provide huge savings . Starting from less than £10k our cars do not need a subsidy to make sense. Road tax is zero and electricity costs less than 2p per mile whilst the price of petrol and diesel will just keep on rising with increasing government taxes. In London you do not need to pay Congestion Charge and can even park for free in large parts of the city. A company car driver can drive one of our cars at less than 50p per day!”
Additionally, evstores sees the future of EVs very much driven by affordable small city cars arguing that most motorists do not need long-range, expensive hybrids. For everyday mobility the upfront costs of the batteries for extended range electric vehicles will remain a major hurdle, even with substantial government subsidies. The good news is that most of us do not need the extended range. In London the average car journey is only 4.3 miles long and the average speed only12 mph. This week’s ‘The Car in British Society’ report from the RAC Foundation confirmed that across the the UK the average car journey is only 8 miles and average speed only 24 mph. The report also highlighted the essential role that cars play in the economy and social inclusion. Affordable short range electric cars are the only solution to provide accessible mobility for the entire population whilst also fighting climate change.
At less than £10,000 on the road the electric MyCar delivers an affordable electric car solution and is available now. It can travels between 40 and 50 miles on a single charge and for the occasional longer journeys evstores has partnered with car clubs.
What do you think? Are the current generation of electric cars suitable for your use? Let us know by leaving a comment with your thoughts.
