Confidence is as important to improving consumer demand

Confidence is as important to improving consumer demand in the used electric vehicle (EV) market as pricing, says the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP).

Ric Baird, board director at the AFP, explained that more needs to be done to make EVs feel as much a secure and sensible purchase as a petrol or diesel equivalent.

“The AFP and many other bodies were signatories to a British Vehicle Leasing and Rental Association (BVRLA) open letter last week asking for more government support for electrification in the used sector, especially focusing on the need to make EVs as affordable as possible while shoring up residual values. This is certainly required.

“What is perhaps receiving less attention – although included in the letter – is the need to create more consumer confidence in used EVs, overcoming the real hurdles that exist as well as the large number of distortions and half-truths in circulation. There is an argument that generating a sense of everyday normality and absence of risk around EVs is as important as any financial considerations.”

Chief among these confidence factors, he explained, were establishing the long-term reliability of EV batteries and making charging as economical and accessible as possible.

“There is a huge amount of misinformation around about EV batteries, ranging from their supposed propensity to self-combust to the speed at which they degrade. However, all the available evidence now shows them to be stable, robust and long-lasting, with degradation generally occurring at a slow and predictable rate. That needs to be communicated.

“What we really need to see very quickly is the establishment of an industry backed battery health check designed to reassure consumers in this respect, providing them with the credible information they need to make an informed buying decision. While the government is reportedly working on a project to deliver this, it can’t arrive soon enough.

“Equally, while the charging infrastructure is growing at a pace, its presence is patchy and public chargers are often expensive. Especially for people living in terraced houses or apartments without the off-road parking for their own charger, there needs to be cost effective, convenient charging provided very quickly.”

A successful EV market was not just about inspiring confidence among consumers but car dealers, too, Ric added. 

“There remain car dealers who won’t touch a used EV and that’s a situation that can’t continue. Again, there needs to be an understanding that buying and selling electric cars and vans is something that can be done with certainty in 2025.”