Volkswagen boss warns electric vehicle sales are ‘stagnant’ as survey shows only 2% of drivers would buy one in near future
- Volkswagen CEO Alex Smith warned of little incentive to buy electric vehicles
Volkswagen’s chief executive has warned that sales of electric vehicles are ‘stagnant’ as a poll found just 2 per cent of motorists would buy one in the near future.
Alex Smith warned that there is currently little incentive to buy electric vehicles.
He claimed sales are “stagnant” and electric cars are still “relatively expensive” compared to petrol and diesel cars. He added: ‘It is true that with the retail price of an electric car you will find a premium.’
This came after a survey of 2,375 British motorists found that only 2 percent would currently buy an electric car. The survey, carried out for industry body Society for Motor Manufactures and Traders, found that more than half do not plan to buy one until 2026 or later.
The figures led to growing calls for more support for private buyers to switch to electric vehicles, ahead of a planned ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030.
Volkswagen’s chief executive has warned that sales of electric vehicles are ‘stagnant’ as a poll found just 2 per cent of motorists would buy one in the near future.
Britain is the only major European economy without incentives for private buyers. Electric vehicles are currently exempt from road tax, but owners will start paying them in 2025.
The Mail revealed this month how the popularity of electric vehicles is declining. Only 24 percent of sales in the first half of 2023 were intended for private buyers – compared to 36 percent last year.
EVs typically cost as much as £10,000 more than petrol or diesel equivalents, meaning the purchase price has risen by 60 per cent this year and some street chargers are now 20 per cent more expensive than filling up a petrol or diesel car.
Yesterday, former Prime Minister Liz Truss became the latest high-profile politician to call for the 2030 ban to be lifted.
She said: ‘We must – as many other Western countries are already doing – delay the implementation of net zero commitments, such as the ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030.’
Yesterday, former Prime Minister Liz Truss became the latest high-profile politician to call for the 2030 ban to be scrapped
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is conducting an audit of his net zero policy to see which policies could be softened or discarded ahead of the next election.
However, it is believed he will go ahead with the 2030 ban despite concerns about the rising costs of running it.
A poll for the Mail conducted by Survation in July found that only 28 percent of the public think the 2030 ban is a good idea.