When gas stations ran out of fuel in parts of the UK on Friday, business soared at Martin Miller’s electric car dealer in Guildford, Surrey.
After his company’s busiest day, EV Experts, interest doesn’t seem to wane. This week the schedule of test drives is fully booked and business is tight.
“People buy electric cars for the environment, to save money, and because the technology is great,” he said. “But Friday was one of those moments when people said, ‘You know what, that’s a sign that we need to go electric’.”
As chaos reigns at gas stations across the country amid bottlenecks, the fuel crisis has resulted in unexpected spikes in inquiries and sales for many electric vehicle (EV) dealers.
EVA England, a non-profit representing new and aspiring electric car drivers, has reported an increase in electric car inquiries and interest from electric car dealers, especially over the past week.
“Saturday was crazy, but Friday topped it, it was very strange,” said Miller, who started his company four years ago. “I now have bartered cars with no petrol to move.”
In addition to existing factors such as the expansion of London’s ultra-low emissions zone, the fuel crisis has proven to be another trigger, he said. “People used it as ‘this is the moment I won’t put it off any longer’.”
The EV market is no longer the domain of innovators and early adopters, he said, with the most popular models Nissan Leaf, Volkswagen ID 3 and Jaguar I-Pace.
Ben Strzalko, the owner of Electric Cars UK in Leyland, Lancashire, said that as a small business, it would take a few months to feel the effects of the fuel crisis on sales.
But every time there are problems with gasoline or diesel, they are “another tick for the people who are making the transition to electric cars”.
He said “a lot of electric car owners will be hacking to pieces this past week” if they can plug their cars into their homes. And as an EV driver, he admitted that he felt a little complacent as he drove past lines of 20 cars in front of gas stations in his Tesla over the weekend.
Matt Cleevely, the owner of Cleevely Electric Vehicles in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, which specializes in used electric vehicles, had a flurry of inquiries from customers over the weekend and Monday mornings citing the fuel crisis as the reason they switched to electric.
He expects that enthusiasm will continue to grow and that the shortage of petrol will bring “fuel to the fire”.
Although he is sorry that non-electric drivers cannot get fuel, he said that as an electric car owner, it is “very nice” not to have to worry about where to get gasoline at the weekend.
“It’s very convenient that we were able to refuel on our driveway. It’s one of the greatest advantages of an electric vehicle. “
The National Franchised Dealers Association also said several dealers have reported an increase in electric vehicle inquiries since the crisis began.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reported “bumper growth” in plug-in car sales in July, with battery electric vehicles accounting for 9% of sales. Plug-in hybrids accounted for 8% of sales and hybrid electric vehicles almost 12%. Also in July, more electric vehicles than diesel were registered for the second month in a row.
The UK has pledged to ban sales of new gasoline and diesel cars by 2030 and new hybrids by 2035.
Warren Philips, director of volunteer communities at EVA England, said the turning point for electric vehicles has already been reached, but the fuel crisis “underscores how electric cars could work for the majority of people”.
He added: “The interest is already there, that only adds to it. And in the future with things like Cop26, with the climate crisis, with probably rising fuel costs … people will start looking at electric cars where you just skip this whole step. “
