There is still an unbelievable number of people who wouldn't dare purchase an electric vehicle (EV) in 2018. I've noticed the number of brand new combustion engines cars far exceeds that of the EV sort. How is this even possible considering the large fuel savings, tax relief and government incentives as well as the abundance of charging points. Why are people still choosing pay large amounts of money for cars that run on dirty fossil fuels - of which prices are constantly rising and so too are the societal pressures associated with pollution. Higher maintenance costs keeping engines oiled, filtered, coolants etc. Not to mention the ongoing repairs associated with hundreds of moving pieces of equipment. This should be enough to turn even the biggest petrol head into an EV owner, but its not the case. With 622 total EV sales in 2017 making up only 0.47% of the market.
This could be down to a lack of trust among buyers. Myths regarding EV range, reliability and costs may be stopping those in the market for a new car from purchasing an EV. Fears of being stranded in the middle of nowhere or having to pay thousands of pounds for a new battery are all too common. Once upon a time those fears would have been reasonable say in the 1970's with the likes of the Elcar - it could go a whopping 25 mph and had a very discouraging 40 mile range! It had lead acid batteries so safety was questionable and comfort was 0.01% only thanks to the fact it had a seat.
However, this is not the 1970's and a Tesla is far from an Elcar. There is no doubting the cost of a Tesla is way over most budgets, their EV range has shown price decreases with each new model. For example, their lowest mass market Model 3 is $35000 (-5000 government grant) has a 220-310 mile range and achieves 0-60 mph between 3-5 seconds.
But I have been most impressed with what Nissan has achieved with the Leaf model, the new version 2.0 is beautifully designed with more attractive edges and a more aggressive front and rear than the first generation. Boasting a respectable 270 km range, you could feel quite reassured while taking short trips or longer commutes especially since there are 1,100 public charging points across Ireland.
As you certainly should expect with an EV - on-board technology is cutting edge, features such as the E-pedal allowing regenerative braking that steadily brings the car to a stop. It also possesses the Nissan ProPILOT keeping you centred, cover blind spots, speed up, slow down and stopping when on one lane traffic. The Nissanconnect EV App allows you to set the timer to charge your Nissan LEAF outside peak hours, perfect the temperature before you get in, find nearest charging points and get up to date traffic reports (Nissan, 2018).
Prices for the 2018 Nissan LEAF start at €23,690 (including the €5000 gov grant) which is very competitive with popular combustion engine vehicles. Did I mention that using public charging points is completely free?
Hi Sean, I think the government have a crucial role to play in getting more EVs on Irish roads. Especially if they are to meet their 2030 goal of replacing combustion engines with electric vehicle adoption. It really boils down to a lack of trust which in this case is due to an unawareness of the technological capabilities of EVs. Although the financial reliefs are very much welcomed, the government must focus on providing education and understanding of the advances in technology. One possibility could be setting up an experience center that provides unbiased information regarding the EV options available in the Irish market. Giving customers the chance to rent out an EV for a short duration to experience the…
Very insightful piece. Do you think the Irish government are responsible for the low demand in EVs? Should they be launching marketing campaigns to refute the myths mentioned above?