The EV fact thread

[BIGDOG]

BMW has confirmed it is delaying the reintroduction of electric vehicle production at its Oxford Mini plant:

BMW delays £600m electric Mini factory upgrade over 'uncertainty'

The vehicle manufacturer says "multiple uncertainties" in the industry led to its decision.

www.bbc.co.uk

Happy days eh?

 

[Dryce]

Increasing demand for EVs via consumer subsidies will solve the viability issue for manufacturers like BMW.

The subsidies have failed in the UK.

Remove VAT at any EV under £20K. No BIK concessions for any EV not under £20K.

That VAT concession is a subsidy of sorts but it's brutal in that it makes a huge incentive to buyers and manufacturers to hold to that £20K limit - and encourage buyers to concede some sort of compromise on range. It would make a gap of between £20K and £24K+ that would make buyers think twice.

If the government is going to spend actual money then rather than subsidise vehicles it should look at EV support infrastructure. If encouraging smaller cheaper EVs with shorter range then look at making charging infrastructure ubiquitously available in parking areas. Even if it is low power charging - lots of cheap EVs with smaller batteries can only take so much. Stuff the idea of ULEZ or LEZ and the likes of London cynically making money - just make it absolute no-brainer to buy and use an EV because they are inherently better value and convenient.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

If encouraging smaller cheaper EVs with shorter range then look at making charging infrastructure ubiquitously available in parking areas. Even if it is low power charging - lots of cheap EVs with smaller batteries can only take so much.

I have a small, cheap EV with short range and small battery - in fact it must be pretty much the shortest range and smallest battery of all EVs on sale - and charging infrastructure really isn’t an issue. There are plenty of charging locations, and there’s excess capacity at almost all of them.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

The subsidies have failed in the UK.
Remove VAT at any EV under £20K. No BIK concessions for any EV not under £20K.
That VAT concession is a subsidy of sorts but it's brutal in that it makes a huge incentive to buyers and manufacturers to hold to that £20K limit - and encourage buyers to concede some sort of compromise on range. It would make a gap of between £20K and £24K+ that would make buyers think twice.
If the government is going to spend actual money then rather than subsidise vehicles it should look at EV support infrastructure. If encouraging smaller cheaper EVs with shorter range then look at making charging infrastructure ubiquitously available in parking areas. Even if it is low power charging - lots of cheap EVs with smaller batteries can only take so much. Stuff the idea of ULEZ or LEZ and the likes of London cynically making money - just make it absolute no-brainer to buy and use an EV because they are inherently better value and convenient.

Well said, but don't understand the infrastructure point at all.

We've already got commercial chargers laying idle, and we have more than 20 million homes (70% nationally) with off street parking but no EV present. Go for the low hanging fruit.

Remove the VAT on commercial charging, and on the installation of EV chargers at home.

And..... Follow the French and tax the Bejesus out of ICE vehicles, so that older, dirtier vehicles get scrapped. Their tax system nudges people into new small cars made by their own industry. Why can't we do this?

Oh, and the French also charge you €10 / kilo for any new car weighing over 1.6 tonnes. So a 2,500kgs BMW picks up an extra €9000 in purchase tax, just for its ...obesity.

Vehicle CO2 emissions tax in France - Malus Tax 2025

2025 is bringing big changes to car taxes in France—discover how the new malus auto rules will impact vehicle costs.

ecarstrade.com

 

[DaveE320CDI]

Mike, Follow the French and tax the Bejesus out of ICE vehicles, so that older, dirtier vehicles get scrapped. Their tax system nudges people into new small cars made by their own industry. Why can't we do this? are you really serious?
It would not end well over here, and don't think it will in France either good luck with that,

 

[clk320x]

It would not end well over here

What will happen?

Look at the increases in CGT, SDLT etc… who stopped that? Who will stop cars being taxed to hell? No one…

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Mike, Follow the French and tax the Bejesus out of ICE vehicles, so that older, dirtier vehicles get scrapped. Their tax system nudges people into new small cars made by their own industry. Why can't we do this? are you really serious?
It would not end well over here, and don't think it will in France either good luck with that,

The French have done something similar for decades. That’s why they’ve always run around in smaller French cars which are perfectly fine for moving people around.

The French eat their money
The Italians wear their money,
The Germans drive their money and
The British live in their money

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

What will happen?

Look at the increases in CGT, SDLT etc… who stopped that? Who will stop cars being taxed to hell? No one…

The Government spends 45% of GDP and has no desire to reduce its spending.

So that money has to come from somewhere. Where better than car ownership? Look at the taxation right across the EU