The Government might be about to announce a scrappage scheme in order to encourage drivers to switch to zero-emission vehicles, according to various rumours in circulation presently. The survey carried out by Smart Home Charge in the light of such rumours has found that 50.4 percent of drivers said they would either “definitely” or be “more likely” to buy a new or used EV within the next year if such a scrappage scheme was rolled out.
Just under 10 percent said the scheme would not encourage them to make the switch to an electric car and 7.3 percent said they would prefer to lease or rent an electric car rather than buy one.
“Our survey has shown that most people understand how petrol and diesel cars can negatively impact their local environment, particularly air quality” said Danny Morgan, editor at Smart Home Charge. “It also shows many people are willing to do something about it, including switching to an electric car. But buying any brand new or used car can be a significant investment, so a Government contribution in the form of a scrappage scheme to encourage electric car ownership would not only be a boost to the UK automotive industry but would also be a big step in helping this country achieve its net-zero carbon economy target by 2050.”
66 percent of respondents said they would get a fully electric car when asked what they would most likely do to help improve local air quality. Other options included walking or cycling more (14.4 percent), car sharing (2.1 percent), avoid driving into town (3.1 percent) and getting a plug-in hybrid (7.6 percent).
Editor Danny Morgan added that the lockdown had given people the chance to see what zero-emissions vehicles could bring to their local area.
“Air quality and noise pollution have always been quite abstract things to discuss” Mr Morgan said. “We know we want less pollution, but we’ve never really experienced what it would be like in our towns and cities. Plus, driving is part of the fabric of everyday life, so we don’t always make the connection between the two. However, one positive from the lockdown has meant far fewer cars on the road and, for the first time in a long time, people have experienced the benefits of quieter roads and less pollution from car tailpipes. Clearly, electric cars won’t solve the congestion problems we have, but the knock-on effect has been people are more willing to consider a fully electric car because their priorities have changed – better air quality and less noise are both something to strive for and EVs can help with that.”
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