Date Added: 04.09.20

The coronavirus pandemic has had many a surprising effect on the world, one thing we certainly weren’t expecting was the rise in electric vehicle sales. It may sound a little whacky, linking covid-19 with the EV market, but hear us out because we think we’re on to something here.

While fuel and hybrid vehicle sales have plummeted to record lows since lockdowns were put into place, electric vehicles have sustained growth and have even been bolstered by funding projects for the deployment of charging points. The UK, for instance, is down -49% in H1 2020 where traditional vehicles are concerned – but on the electric vehicle front, we’ve never seen higher figures with sales topping 9% of the total vehicle market share.

In fact, thanks to the Agile Streets Project, EV drivers can also enjoy on-street charging – backed by big names in the energy industry like Octopus Energy and the Energy Saving Trust as well as electric vehicle infrastructure firm Connected Kerb. The scheme has been put in place recently to remove inaccessibility barriers to aid the UK’s move to zero emission travel.

“So, where does the pandemic come into this?” we hear you ask. Well, there’s no denying that the demand has risen during the lockdown period and we know how much lockdown has affected consumer behaviour.

Lockdowns across Europe have drastically changed the way people approach travel for starters. With social distancing still very much at the heart of the UK’s approach to tackling the virus, people have developed a sort of phobia around public transport. Don’t believe us? UK rail passengers are down 3 million since this time last year thanks to a large portion of the workforce being able to work remotely.

The demand for cars is greater than ever with public transport off the cards. This is especially true when you consider that inner city properties have taken a hit as those working in offices generally don’t need to travel to the office as frequently.

So why are electric vehicles prospering while others are falling by the wayside?

You’d be forgiven for thinking that this unease around using public transport would surely see a hike in vehicle prices across the board rather than just in the EV space. Here’s what we think is going on: 

Environmental factors

In lockdown, we’ve a much greater awareness of our impact on the environment. With less cars on the roads, less public transport in operation, dips in manufacturing and industry – while our economy may have taken a hit, the planet is thriving.

The conscious consumer is looking at how we can sustain a greener way of living as our infrastructure gradually returns to normal. One such way is to cut the emissions out of car travel, there’s no doubt this has factored into people’s buying journeys – particularly when the EV market is getting great support from initiatives like the Agile Streets Project. Which brings us on to our next point nicely…

More press

Electric vehicles are getting more air time than ever before, not just from manufacturers but from government initiatives to lower emissions in our cities. Take Birmingham’s Clean Air Tax for example, the message is clear: if you don’t want to fork out for driving your high-emission car around the city you should really invest in something a little cleaner.

This type of messaging has been in the pipeline for some time already, so it’s no surprise that when the time has come for consumers to reconsider their vehicle choice over lockdown – those that could, have opted for EVs.

Target market

When you think about the usual demographic of your average electric vehicle buyer, they are more likely to be wealthier and as a result in their 30s and 40s. According to a KPMG study, those over 55 were more likely to be concerned by range anxiety as an off-putting factor. Although millennials and Gen Z are generally very climate-conscious and probably would snap up EVs left, right and centre, the typically higher price point of an electric vehicle places it out of reach for many young people.

If cost weren’t such a barrier, we could see EVs taking up even more of the overall vehicle market share. Another factor we need to consider where the drop in overall vehicle sales is concerned is that those more likely to be negatively impacted by furlough or redundancy tend to be in the earlier stages of their careers. Meaning that the people who would usually be buying the more budget friendly, higher-emission cars are no longer in a position to continue.

Essentially, what’s happening here is that the barriers to accessing electric vehicles are gradually being stripped away. Be it the concern about running out of power mid-journey due to a lack of charging ports, or the cost – EV aficionados are doing their upmost to make these zero emission vehicles more accessible.

Whether you see the link between the pandemic and what the EV market is doing or not, one thing is for sure: the future is electric.

With electric vehicles on the rise, more and more skillsets and knowledge in this area will be sorely needed by manufacturers, energy consultancies and even central government. If you’re an EV professional, speak to our Clean Energy specialists on 0121 633 3030 to discover new opportunities in the electric vehicles market.