A group of MPs have backed calls for Britons to switch to electric cars following an event designed to remove misinformation from the transition away from petrol and diesel vehicles.
There are already more than 1.5 million electric cars are already on the road across the UK, with EVs securing over one-fifth of the market share of new cars.
Despite the popularity of zero emission vehicles and the rapid decline of new petrol and diesel sales, many Britons are still hesitant, with experts warning that myths are influencing motorists.
A number of cross-party MPs took to the streets of Westminster this week to learn more about new and used electric vehicles to combat false beliefs.
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MPs were invited to test new and second-hand electric vehicles in Westminster earlier this week
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The event, which was hosted by Electric Vehicles UK, saw MPs educated about EVs and their benefits, as well as combatting widespread misinformation.
Recent data found that millions of drivers wrongly believe that drivers can receive an electric shock if they wash an EV, highlighting the lack of knowledge about the vehicle type.
Dan Caesar, spokesperson for EVUK, said the affordability of electric cars was "very poorly understood", and, in many cases, undersold.
He said: "Electric Vehicles UK data shows that switching to electric offers an average total saving of £5,850 over ownership, and that used BEVs are on average £2,781 cheaper than conventional cars.
Brendan O'Hara, SNP MP for Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber, said he was taking delivery of his first EV next week
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"Yet this isn’t widely understood by all stakeholders, not least policymakers."
The overwhelming majority of electric vehicle owners (87 per cent) said they would have switched sooner if they knew about the lower running costs.
Similarly, a staggering 94 per cent of EV owners said they would never return to petrol, diesel or hybrid vehicles.
More than three-quarters of these drivers said lower running costs were the main reason, with EV owners paying very little for car tax, while home charging can help motorists save more than £1,000 a year compared to petrol equivalent vehicles.
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Perran Moon, MP for Camborne and Redruth, noted that the UK has already "passed the tipping point" for the uptake of electric vehicles.
The Labour MP added: "Although the product supply is coming through, we still have challenges with infrastructure, and the Government should be doing more to promote the uptake of EVs, focusing on much lower whole life costs and the benefits to the environment."
According to the latest data from Zapmap, there are 82,369 electric vehicle charging points across the UK, with 1,371 installed in the last month alone.
While Labour has removed red tape from the installation of new EV chargers, by scrapping planning permission for individuals and charge point operators, experts note that more needs to be done.
A group of cross-party MPs attended the electric vehicle ride-along
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The industry welcomed a £2.3billion boost to support the uptake of chargers, but the pace of installations still needs to be boosted, especially if the UK is to meet a 300,000 charger target by the end of the decade.
Brendan O'Hara MP admitted that he had concerns around the range and charging infrastructure, especially as he represents a rural community in Scotland.
The SNP MP for Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber, said: "Improvements to both the range of the cars and to the charging set-up, however, have persuaded me that it is entirely possible to take long journeys, even on rural roads, in the most remote parts of the UK.
"And so, I’m now really looking forward to taking delivery of my first electric car next week."
Thom Groot, CEO of The Electric Car Scheme, added: "This wasn’t just a briefing, it was a real-world encounter with the future of transport."
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