Bringing the electric vehicle to the mass market

This report provides an overview of the barriers and facilitators to the wider adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), and describes a variety of EV initiatives currently underway in a pragmatic selection of countries namely the UK, France, Denmark, and Canada. Findings suggest that subsidising EV purchase costs means spending hundreds of millions of pounds of government funds, but that this would overcome a number of consumer barriers to wider EV uptake. It concludes that the development of recharging infrastructure, which is essential for EVs' transition beyond the niche market, would rely on the success of public-private collaboration. Additionally, better information and more outreach programmes are needed to help consumers understand and take full advantage of existing EV technology. Finally, dependence on government support involves some uncertainties, especially in the current economic climate. While this review has been undertaken with the primary purpose of informing the design of a survey about the potential uptake of electric vehicles, it could also be used as a stand-alone resource for readers, researchers or policy makers with an interest in EV uptake and related policies.