2020 hailed as breakthrough year for pure electric cars

The UK car industry is braced for 2020 being a breakthrough year for pure electric cars.

That’s the message in The Times from journalist Robert Lea in his first article in a six-part series on Electric Britain.

The Times reports that the number of pure electric models in British showrooms is set to more than double with annual sales of zero emission passenger cars forecast to exceed the 100,000 mark by the end of the year.

An audit of the launch plans of motor manufacturers by the highly respected newspaper shows that 22 new fully electric car models will be available to buy in Britain in 2020. Four will come in at the sub-£20,000 level which is an important development in a market where EVs have traditionally been regarded as premium products marketed at premium prices.

Amongst the new models will be a zero emission Fiat 500 launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March while Volkswagen’s EV version of its cheapest car, the Up!, will arrive in Britain early Spring.

As electrification is the biggest change in the industry since the internal combustion engine replaced the horse drawn carriage, so car dealers will be on a steep learning curve.

The National Franchised Dealers Association says the availability of public recharging infrastructure is key to motorists taking electric vehicles to their hearts and minds. Manufacturers too need to ensure that EVs are channelled to the UK rather than continental Europe which is seen by in some quarters as being more EV-friendly.

“Without doubt 2020 is set to be a game changing year for the sector,” said Adrian Keen, CEO of InstaVolt, the UK’s largest owner operated network of rapid electric vehicle chargers in the UK.

“The public recharging infrastructure is expanding all the time and range anxiety should soon become less of a concern for motorists keen to make the switch from Diesel or petrol cars to EVs.

“At InstaVolt we are racing towards having 500 chargers in the ground by Spring and we were the first in the country to launch a ‘fully open’ tap to pay network, meaning drivers don’t need a subscription, membership or RFID card to pay. It’s all about making the purchase of power as easy and as convenient as possible to build confidence in drivers.”

To find out more about InstaVolt and find your nearest rapid charger visit: https://instavolt.co.uk/find-electric-vehicle-charge-point-map/