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If you’re an electric vehicle driver, or are considering becoming one, you need to know about EVA England, the voice for electric vehicle drivers in England.
EVA England is a not-for-profit membership organisation supporting existing and prospective EV drivers, and championing policies that accelerate EV adoption.
EVA England:
EVA England’s policy positions reflect the real-world challenges faced by EV drivers and the organisation advocates for a fair, accessible, and affordable EV transition that works for everyone.
EVA England’s work is informed by regular engagement with its members, including surveys, workshops, and direct feedback. The organisation uses this evidence to influence government policy, shape industry standards, and raise public awareness, ensuring drivers’ needs are at the heart of the transition.
In a survey of over 450 EV, hybrid, petrol, and diesel drivers to inform EVA England’s ZEV Mandate Consultation response, their insights confirmed that upfront cost, availability and access to public charging infrastructure, and concerns about the emerging divide between those who are able to charge on their driveways and those who cannot, persist as major barriers to the transition.
Below are the key EV policy areas where EVA England is actively campaigning for change:
EVA England’s 2023 survey found that the most represented income bracket among EV drivers was £50,000–£75,000. And whilst the 2024 iteration of the survey saw increased representation among the next income bracket down, only 6% of respondents reported an income of £25,000 or less.
The new electric car grant (£3,750 or £1,500 off the recommended retail price of cars below £37,000) will support buyers on the new car market. However, with the upfront cost of EVs still 23% higher than their ICE counterparts, there remains a continued risk that lower-income households are excluded from the transition to zero-emission vehicles if parallel support is not given to the used car market.
EVA England is asking the Government to:
EVs are still more expensive than their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts, with a recommended retail price (RRP) that is currently on average 23% higher than that of ICE vehicles (and 35% just a year ago).
There are a number of taxation measures EVA England is asking the Government to consider to address the high upfront cost of EVs and tackle one of the biggest barriers to greater uptake of these vehicles:
Charging costs at public charging points are considerably higher compared to private charging and vary enormously depending on the type of charging point. Overall, the average cost of home charging is 32p per kWh and 51p per kWh for a public slow charger or 76p per kWh for a public fast charger.
This substantial difference in costs generates an inequitable charging divide, where those households with a driveway are able to benefit from the potential for EVs to be cheaper to run than their ICE counterparts, and those without a driveway pay more to run their EV than their old ICE car.
Unless this charging divide is addressed, there is a substantial risk that certain groups of consumers will bear a disproportionate cost of the transition to EVs.
EVA England is therefore asking the Government to:
EVA England is also asking the industry to consider options that reduce public charging costs for residents, for example, through dynamic pricing, which makes it cheaper to charge at certain times of day.
Availability of charging infrastructure, and a perception that it is too difficult to use, are still prevailing concerns amongst drivers who have not yet made the switch to electric.
There is an increasing number of public chargepoints, with 27% growth last year and over 82,000 nationwide. However, it is hard to find them, with planning and regulatory barriers currently preventing clear signposting.
Moreover, none are fully compliant with accessibility standards, meaning drivers with disabilities are in danger of being excluded from the transition. And the associated payment processes are one of the single biggest sources of frustration for EV drivers, with complaints continuing around the need to use multiple apps, lack of pricing transparency, and price shocks around pre-authorisations and high charging costs. The regulations to tackle these exist, but their rollout and enforcement need to accelerate to keep pace with the electric vehicle transition.
Add to that the number of residents who rent or lease their properties and are refused permission to install chargers by their landlords and freeholders, then access to charging continues to be a major barrier to making the switch for many.
EVA England is asking the Government to:
EVA England has recently launched a major new national survey calling on drivers across the UK to share their views on the Government’s proposed ‘pay-per-mile’ scheme (eVED) and the state of the public charging network, ahead of a major Government Charging Review.
The survey comes at a critical moment, as policymakers consider how to replace declining fuel duty revenues and improve charging affordability and availability. EVA England has warned that, too often, drivers risk becoming a “forgotten voice” in debates dominated by manufacturers, energy companies and infrastructure providers.
Building on EVA England’s established programme of national research with drivers, the organisation wants to ensure that any upcoming reforms are grounded in real-world experience – from whether these reforms affect drivers’ appetite for going electric, to how mileage might be recorded and paid for, and whether public charging is fair, reliable and accessible.
Click here to take part in the eVED survey
Click here to find out more about EVA England
Click here to help shape the future of EV policy by joining EVA England
