The electric vehicle (EV) revolution is already upon us. Battery life and other performance measures are rapidly improving at pace. There are now over 130,000 electric vehicles on the roads and 15,000 public charge points installed across the UK – not to mention rising numbers of privately-owned chargers being rolled out.
The successful roll-out of low carbon transport will depend on putting the customer in the driving seat. Many motorists have long seen their cars as more than just vehicles, but in the case of EVs this will take on new dimensions given the potentially transformative role they can perform in storing and supplying electricity. Those capabilities mustn’t overshadow the fact that EVs will be used as cars first and foremost. This means that customer adoption rests on drivers retaining the choice and freedom they have had with their vehicles to date.