npower survey finds manufacturers are reluctant to invest in EVs

Research from npower Business Solutions has discovered that UK manufacturers are tentative about investing in electric vehicles

39% of the senior decision-makers interviewed by npower said that they will not be investing in EV technology and infrastructure at all until post-2025. This number is 6% less than in British companies overall.

The reluctance to get involved in EV technology appears to be down to lack of awareness of the benefits. npower’s study highlighted a gap in the knowledge of those involved, with 49% of industry respondents saying they do not feel informed of the way electric vehicles might improve their businesses.

This research comes just as Philip Hammond, Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced a new set of measures in the national budget to boost the UK’s EV market, including £400m in infrastructure and a tax break for those who charge their vehicle at work.

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Jason Scagell, Director of Vehicle Charging Solutions at npower, commented: “Given the slow pace at which manufacturers are currently looking to deploy EVs, the Chancellor’s investment package has come at a great time. More work remains to be done in clearly setting out the benefits of EVs to manufacturers, and this will need to be carried out on the broadest possible level, bringing together government, business and the EV industry itself to build a coherent country-wide EV strategy.”

Despite nearly half of respondents being distinctly distrustful, 43% of senior decision makers at manufacturing organisations agree that providing electric vehicle charging facilities at their business sites would prove beneficial. The ability of EVs to make them more carbon efficient (70%) and improve their organisation’s CSR credentials (70%) were cited as the main benefits.

“All manufacturers today must be serious about sustainability,” continued Scagell. “Given their complex and widespread supply chains, manufacturers can embrace EVs both to lower their carbon footprint and meet their increasingly important CSR initiatives. That’s why we’re helping our clients in this industry, and others, build clear strategies around EVs that will ensure they move from investment to benefit as fast as possible.”