Why the Government needs to drive us out of electric vehicle slump

Many motorists feel there are far more reasons to wait than to buy

It might look like there are more reasons to wait rather than act now if you have been thinking of buying a new battery electric car (BEV).

Certainly, the level of negative vibes around BEVs has persuaded thousands of would-be buyers to hold off for this registration period and see what happens by the next one in July.

Others have made up their minds to wait until next year, while some have put the decision on the longest finger possible.

But are there circumstances that could influence when and what you buy in the more medium term?

Yes, there are.

The problem is that it takes what appears to be an inordinately long time for anything to happen, and longer still for it to make a tangible positive difference.

As you are probably aware, sales of new BEVs plunged by 41pc last month and by 14.3pc in the first quarter of the year (down to 7,971 from 9,297 for the corresponding period in 2023).

That’s an indication of how many are staying out – at a time when buying numbers should be surging.

Experts say this sort of fall-off is to be expected when sales reach a point of early-adaptor saturation and a lag between fuller uptake of BEVs.

The only thing is that the lag in Ireland’s case is lengthening by the day, and people are growing more disillusioned that a BEV is anywhere near being a solution to what they want their next car to be.

That’s a huge statement to make, but it is true.

The list of factors that are blocking buying is as long as it is obvious.

It is the relatively high price of buying a new electric car. It is the low price you are likely to get if you are trading in an old, or not so old, electric vehicle.

We’ve heard stories of BEV owners of one-to-two-year-old cars losing thousands of euro. All cars depreciate but the sums being lost in the case of some BEVs are outrageous.

It is the shocking fact that some dealers have refused to take a BEV as a tradein against a new model. They can’t find buyers for them. Or, if they can, it will be at a ridiculously poor price.

Imagine the psychological impact that sort of situation is having, not only on those who got stung but on those who might otherwise have grasped the nettle and bought.

It is the fact that the national public charging networks are incapable of servicing even the small number of electric cars that are already on the road.

It is a fact that, not only are distances between them too long, the uncertainty of their availability and power output creates range anxiety, and there are huge delays in waiting, and frustration at how long it can take to get a decent amount of power on board.

It is a fact that the whole area of electrification is in danger of becoming bogged down, that small advances are being acclaimed as major steps forward.

The Government is not solely to blame, but it is the most influential lever to reinvigorate the push forward in the context deadline it has set for new sales of electric-only vehicles.

It can, if it so desires and is prepared to forgo some tax income from motoring (a sector that has been tapped to exhaustion over the years), force the pace.

I don’t think people care how they do it any more. Just do it. There is a sense of stagnation.

Get more, and more powerful, public chargers. Kick some ass to get power to critical junctures.

Take control. Draw a line on specifics: we want X-number of new rapid chargers and we want X-number of expanded, and new, sites right away.

Put real money into the project to speed it up. We are well able to plough millions into new roads (well done), but appear a tad tight when it comes to electrifying the routes of the future.

It needs to take a step back and greatly re-incentivise smaller, family EVs. Motorists need to be reassured that current incentives will be for five years – purchase grants and benefit-in-kind (and restore home charging grants to €600).

Would-be BEV buyers are low in confidence. They need to see action to justify purchase and measures to bolster future values.