EVs ‘not a lost cause’ despite demand lagging supply

Richard Aucock, Contributor
Fri, 14 Mar 2025

New electric car demand is increasingly falling behind improved supply, which is creating headaches for both car manufacturers and government.

However, a new AA report indicates that EVs are not yet ‘a lost cause’ with more than half of drivers saying they still see the potential in electric cars.

What’s stopping them buying an EV in the next five years are worries around price and range, the research revealed.

The organisation says many drivers have been ‘left behind’ by the EV transition, with little currently being done to stimulate demand from drivers.

The RAC says that the current EV system to support drivers is not well-developed and this is damaging EV owner advocacy even from some of the early adopters."

This is shown in the 22% of drivers who totally reject EVs and say they will never get one, and the further 20% of doubters who are neutral or unlikely to get an EV as their next car and are less likely to get one in the future.

In contrast, just 7% of drivers said they already own an EV or have driven one in the past – and even they admit that "improvements in the experience are still needed."

The AA is therefore calling for an EV awareness campaign and more affordability incentives to boost electric cars.

"More needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone. Generally, drivers are hesitant, but most are not hostile to the change," says AA CEO Jakob Pfaudler.

"Our research shows many people are confused by the transition, which is not surprising as the main catalyst for change, the ZEV Mandate, only governs supply but does little to encourage demand."

The AA also recommends initiatives such as lower costs like reduced VAT on public chargers, boosting the used EV market with battery health passports and improving chargepoint visibility on UK roads.

Ask HJ

Why are EVs not more streamlined?

It amazes me that the current lot of electric vehicles do not seem to even pay lip service to streamlining to save battery. The front of a large number of cars these days seem to be square - like older large 4x4s - which surely detracts from battery power and thus range? Why do they need to be as square at the front?

Despite appearances, aerodynamics play an increasingly important part in modern car design in the drive for efficiency. Electric vehicles have the benefit of a reduced requirement for cooling at the front of the vehicle which allows a smoother and more aerodynamic nose, but it is important to remember that pedestrian impact mitigation is more of a factor with modern designs which to some degree dictates the design of the frontal area. Electric vehicles also have to accommodate large battery packs as well as provide decent cabin space, which is why many EVs tend to be taller in the body, and this inevitably means a larger frontal area. Even so, the Mercedes EQS, Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan have a drag coefficient of 0.22 or less, which is a testament to the level of aerodynamic excellent than modern cars can achieve.

Answered by David Ross

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