How have electric cars increased in popularity

Electric cars are a common sight on the roads in 2020 and this has been a gradual process over the last 10 years and the world has changed significantly in this time. So, what has caused the shift towards electric vehicles? There has been a number of reasons for the electric car revolution - read on to find out what the main factors have been.

Increase in Charging Areas

The primary concern that many motorists have had in the last 10 years in rela-tion to electric vehicles is the lack of charging areas. People had what is known as “range anxiety” where they worry that they will not be able to get to where they need to go. In 2019, the UK had more electric charging points than fuel stations and the steady increase in charging points has been a key factor why many motorists have decided to make the switch.

Government Pressure

The Government has also been encouraging people to make the switch with a number of measures designed to increase electric car ownership, including grants and introducing fines for polluting vehicles in certain areas. The major Government action is the proposed 2035 ban on the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles but experts believe that the government will have to do more in order to meet this target.

Growing Market

The electric car market is growing at a rapid rate and it is predicted to reach $1.5 trillion by 2025. Car manufacturers are sensing which way the wind is blowing with practically all focusing on electric vehicles which means that there are many more different types of electric car available than there were 10 years ago and this will only continue in the coming years. 

Continuous Improvements

Following this, there have been continuous improvements in electric vehicles and electric vehicle technology which make them more appealing as Matt Eland, Director at Direct Gap mentioned "Aside from the obvious environmental benefits, EVs continue to advance year on year, and as the technology becomes more established they are able to cover increased mileage between charges and have become more and more affordable. For company car users, they will also benefit from a 0% benefit-in-kind tax through 2020/21."

Battery technology has improved drastically which allows these vehicles to travel much further than they could 10 years ago, making range anxiety even less of an issue than it is now. As these vehicles are expensive when purchased new, it is a good idea to take out a GAP insurance policy for financial protection in case the vehicle were to be written off which could see you significantly out of pocket. 

It has been a fantastic decade for the electric car revolution and it looks like this will only continue to gather pace over the next 10 years as the government ramp up efforts to get motorists to make the switch and the market continue to grow.