October 2021

OCTOBER 2021 AFTERMARKET 33 www.aftermarketonline.net He added: “Accessible charging infrastructure is clearly critical to EV uptake, and an area of particular concern for consumers. However, with batteries and point-of-use technology becoming more accessible, we should see a rapid uptake of this infrastructure in the coming five years, which will help drive the roll-out.” To read GHD’s full whitepaper, go to https://communications.ghd.com/energy-post- COVID/ Looking closer to home, 11% of UK drivers planning to change their car expect its replacement to be fully electric, up from 8% in 2020 according to more research. When including hybrids, the research from Kwik Fit shows that the number looking for a low emission vehicle next time rises to 37%, a up from 33% a year ago. 65% of drivers in London are considering switching to either a hybrid or fully electric, while in the North East it is 49%. In Scotland, just 24% would opt for a low emission car next time. On the deterrents to going fully electric, the study found that the biggest factor, cited by 38% was the lack of fast charging points. This rose to 51% among drivers in Wales, and 50% in Yorkshire. In the North East, South West, South East and Scotland, the perceived higher cost is the greatest barrier. For drivers in the West Midlands and the East of England, their biggest concern is range. Commenting on the findings, Kwik Fit Communications Director Roger Griggs said: “This research shows that over the last twelve months car buyers appear to have passed a tipping point in the switch to electric cars. However, although consideration of low emission models has overtaken that for petrol and diesel there is clearly still a lot to do to convince some drivers. Some barriers to consideration can be put down to misperception or a lack of up to date knowledge and the industry must work together to address those areas. But it is also vital that there is visible investment made in the charging infrastructure to ensure that drivers have the confidence to make the switch.” Kwik Fit now has over 570 technicians qualified to work on EVs, and the company said it has the capacity to train around 40 additional technicians each month. Roger added: “At Kwik Fit we have been heavily investing in our EV capability to provide drivers with the reassurance that they will be able to get their car repaired across our network, whatever type of fuel it uses.” While range anxiety is still a concern for many as we have seen, EV drivers are actually travelling 370 miles further per year than internal combustion engine (ICE) motorists according to a new research from Nissan. The carmaker’s study showed that EV drivers are totting up an average of 8,800 miles annually. Meanwhile, motorists using ICE reach an average of 8,450 miles per year.70% of existing EV drivers noted their experience of range has been better than they expected. The research also found that 69% of EV drivers questioned said they are happy with the current charging infrastructure, with 23% saying the biggest EV myth is that the current infrastructure cannot cope. When the 30% of ICE drivers who are unlikely to consider a fully electric vehicle were asked, 58% said their biggest concern on EVs is range. Commenting on the findings, Arnaud Charpentier, Region Vice President, Product Strategy and Pricing, Nissan AMIEO said: “This research reiterates that electric driving is not only a smart option beneficial to the environment but also a fun, exciting and convenient choice for the owners. It is no surprise that people now drive EV further than ICE cars. We are confident that with more electric vehicles on the road dispelling myths, range anxiety will soon be in the past.” In the year 2025 Electrified vehicles could make up 25% of UK vehicles by 2025, according to GiPA UK. The automotive intelligence resource provider has built a car parc forecast tool that captures a picture of the UK car parc looking at size, age, and engine type distribution by 2025, and towards 2030. GiPA UK has used this tool to build two car parc scenarios and has forecast that electrified vehicles will represent between 19% and 21% of the UK passenger car parc by 2025. The 20% includes battery electric vehicles, (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs). With one in five cars electrified by 2025 GiPA UK Director, Quentin Le Hetet says it will be crucial for independent garages to be set up to cater for them: “It is becoming essential for aftermarket players of all kinds to integrate electrified vehicles into their medium to long term business plans. They need to understand how this will affect them, and what their response should be to this new segment in terms of equipment, staff, and training.” He added: “It’s equally important for them to remember that traditional ICE cars will continue to be a significant part of the market after 2030.” For more information visit: www.gipa.eu