Is COVID-19 a good thing for electric cars?

Does COVID-19 benefit electric cars?

The last 3 to 4 months have been somewhat interesting for many automotive business; with many of us either closed or operating on a limited-staff basis, we have all needed to concentrate on being efficient enough to remain in business during the crisis.

However, for the forward-thinking amongst us, it hasn’t just been about managing the daily challenges of dealership closures, vehicles not being collected and new cars not being delivered but it has been about recognising what the automotive industry will look like in the second half of 2020 and beyond.

It is fair to say the way it was done before is no longer fit for purpose and many of us will be utilising people, technology and hard work to find a financially viable route.

Electrification, by which we mean the conversion of the UK’s fleet from petrol/diesel to electric solutions, has been a hot topic on the agenda for the last couple of years. Has this ceased during the recent crisis? Actually, it hasn’t.

Our e-car lease team have actually been busier than ever. Quite strange when you think grants have been cut from £3,500 to £3,000, “expensive” EVs (which are £50,000 and above) no longer qualify for grants, and the electric charge point grant has been reduced.

Add to that a higher price for electric vehicle options (compared to a petrol/diesel alternative) and the sensible amongst you would say, why is the case?

Part of the growth is that electric vehicles have received so much attention from governments, public bodies and manufacturers in the last year, that the momentum is just continuing to build.

Without the COVID-19 issues, we may have been in the same position anyway? Only last month, the Government announce that from autumn of 2020, zero emission vehicles will receive green number plates to make it easier for local authorities to recognise these vehicles.

As such this could lead to cheaper parking, preferential driving lane treatment and zero costs for entering into any clean air or low emission zones. Additionally, it will also make the existence of electric vehicles clearer to the general public and help bring this product to their attention.

In July, the Government is expected to announce plans to introduce scrappage schemes to encourage drivers to trade in diesel or petrol options and receive up to £6,000 to support an electric car purchase.

However, it isn’t just these incentives which are making us think differently. The “time off” during COVID has allowed us the opportunity to consider our world’s future and to recognise how easily life can change.

Fossil fuels and the environment are understandably a precious and finite resource; it is our responsibility to preserve this for the next generation and beyond. The fact is that pure petrol and diesel options do not support this.

Electric vehicles not only produce zero emission but with the UK’s electric network now being powered by more renewable energies and manufacturers now being able to produce vehicles carbon-neutrally, the argument to go electric is undeniable.

But electric vehicles are not mileage suitable? This argument is even less appropriate in our new working conditions. Longer commutes are now falling as we move towards a Microsoft Teams future.

Less and less staff will be travelling to offices, suppliers and customers under social distancing regimes. With annual mileage being cut, the push to electric just makes sense. Also, consider that battery technology is improving.

The opportunity to get 200+ mile solutions is increasing, as more manufacturers launch new and better products. Just see a brief synopsis courtesy of Arval set out below:

Ready to make the change to an electric car lease deal? Take a look at our latest electric car leasing deals now.

Tesla MODEL 3 SALOON Performance AWD 4dr [Performance Upgrade] Auto (Pure Electric Vehicle)

In terms of the car shown, the Tesla MODEL 3 SALOON Performance AWD 4dr [Performance Upgrade] Auto (Pure Electric Vehicle), this is based on the following configuration:

• Midnight silver Metallic Paint
• Premium material - Black PUR seat
• 20" performance alloy wheel

As standard the car includes automatic emergency braking, collision avoidance, ESC, performance brake callipers, lowered suspension, mobile telephone preparation, adaptive cruise control, adaptive cruise control, adaptive steering, front parking sensor, lane departure warning system, park assist camera, rear cross traffic camera, rear parking sensor, reverse parking aid, traffic sign recognition, front cross traffic alert, 15£ touch screen, DAB radio, premium audio with 14 speakers/1subwoofer/2amps and immersive sound, carbon spoiler, LED headlights/daytime running lights, climate control, 60/40 split folding seats, premium heated seating, 20” alloys, keyless entry and alarm/immobiliser.

On the technical side, company car drivers can note the P11d at £57,490.00 and CO2 at 0g/km. The 88kWh lithium-ion battery delivers a 320 mile range (WLTP) on a full charge, 0-62 times of sub 3 seconds and 456ps. The service intervals on a Model 3 are every 24 months or 25,000 miles. Expect an 11kW (AC) charge to take 6-7 hours to charge the vehicle compared with the 30 mins a 250kW DC rapid charger will take!

Thank you also to our business leasing customer, from Sussex, for sending their brand-new car pictures to our team.

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