EVA England has launched a white paper in Parliament warning that the UK’s electric vehicle transition risks leaving millions of drivers behind unless Government acts now to make EVs fair, affordable and practical for every household.
The white paper, Putting the Driver First, sets out that while the EV transition is gathering pace, it will not succeed if it only works for drivers with driveways, higher incomes, new-car budgets and easy access to reliable charging.
The warning comes ahead of the Government’s upcoming public charging review and is backed by new EVA England survey evidence from more than 2,400 drivers. The findings show growing concern over public charging costs, reliability and access: with drivers without home charging in particular facing a very different EV reality from those who can plug in on their driveway.
Dr Vicky Edmonds, Chief Executive of EVA England, said: “EVs have already proved their place in Britain’s transport future. The real test now is whether that future works for everyone, or only for the households who already have the money, parking and charging access to make the switch easily.
“Right now, too many drivers are being asked to make the leap without a fair route across. Ministers need to cut the cost of public charging, build confidence in second-hand EVs, and remove the practical barriers facing renters, lower-income households and people without driveways."
EVs are increasingly working for drivers who can charge at home. Many are seeing cheaper running costs, greater resilience against volatile fuel prices and a better day-to-day driving experience.
But EVA England warns that the benefits are not being shared equally.
Drivers without access to private charging are often pushed onto the public network, where costs can be far higher, reliability is inconsistent and the experience is still too often confusing or frustrating. For households already facing pressure from the cost of living, that gap could be decisive.
New EVA England public charging sentiment data shows 75% of drivers say public charging costs are now the biggest barrier to driving electric. 74% of drivers say location is a prime factor when choosing a chargepoint, but 60% also focus on price. And one in three drivers will travel to a cheaper chargepoint to cut their bill.
Meanwhile, 57% believe public charging should cost less than 45p/kWh - far closer to the rates available to drivers with home charging.
EVA England’s constituency mapping also underlines the scale of the fairness challenge. Across 635 constituencies analysed, average EV uptake sits at only 3.95%, even though average access on-street chargepoints that are five minutes walk away is 27.57%. In 258 constituencies - 40.6% of those analysed - at least a quarter of households are five minutes from an on-street charger, showing how local access and affordability of local infrastructure will shape whether drivers believe they can realistically make the switch.
EVA England says that unless Government closes the gap between those who can charge cheaply at home and those who cannot, the UK risks creating a two-tier EV transition.
Putting the Driver First argues that Government must move beyond headline targets and raw chargepoint numbers, and focus instead on whether the transition works in real life.
That means affordable access to vehicles. It means a second-hand EV market drivers can trust. It means public charging that is cheaper, clearer and more reliable. And it means ensuring future motoring taxes do not punish drivers who are trying to do the right thing.
EVA England is calling for a practical, driver-first plan that supports households currently blocked from switching, including lower and middle-income families, renters, leaseholders, disabled drivers and those without driveways.
The white paper was launched at a driver-focused EV reception in Parliament on 3 June and was co-sponsored by Autotrader, Zapmap and EVCI.
