The latest reports show that the EV market in the UK has achieved little success with its significant sales increase in the past few years. The electric vehicle market has grown and continues to grow, and it has now become the UK’s second most popular car type.
For several years, diesel vehicles claimed the top spot but with a sales drop of around 38.9%, it has moved down the list. The top spot now belongs to petrol vehicles after their sales climbed up and took 32.9% of the market.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Trainers estimated the EV market increase to around 40.1% compared to their 2022 sales performance. SMMT also shared the good news that new vehicle CO2 emissions are down to their lowest ever at 11.4g per kilometre.
EV’s good numbers are partly due to the new Tesla models that arrived late in 2022. The Model Y crossover made it to the top of the sales charts with over 10,600 sales. Tesla’s Model 3 saloon made it to the top two, with over 5,700 units sold.
While this is good news, around 2/3 of the electric vehicle sales and registrations were by fleets and businesses. Private vehicle owners still need more convincing that electric vehicles are their best option. The main issue that stops them from saying yes to EVs is the need for more charging infrastructure.
Private chargers are expensive so not all car owners can afford them. Installation can cost around £1000. Some car owners hesitate to switch to EVs because they do not have off-road parking, which can be challenging for electric vehicle drivers. This is why having enough charge points in the UK is important for many consumers.
Although the UK government plans to have around 300,000 public chargers by the year 2030, they have installed only about 30,000 or 10% of their goal.
Why switch to electric?
There are many reasons why car owners should switch to electric vehicles but the one that stands out the most is how it can help improve air quality. Diesel vehicles are known for their emissions. The diesel emissions scandal, the most controversial scam in the automobile industry, has made this clear several times over.
Diesel vehicles emit NOx or nitrogen oxide, a group of highly reactive gases that has dangerous, life-changing impacts on human health and the environment. NOx has several components, with the primary ones being nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
When it reacts with other elements, NOx produces acid rain, smog, and a pollutant known as ground-level ozone. Acid rain and smog can cause asthma and other respiratory diseases. Ground-level ozone affects vegetation; it can weaken and damage them.
If you are exposed to nitrogen oxide emissions, expect to be hounded by various health impacts:
- Mental health-related issues – depression and anxiety
- Weakened cognitive abilities – can lead to dementia, especially Alzheimer’s disease
- Asthma
- Bronchitis and emphysema
- Pulmonary oedema (when your lungs are filled with fluid)
- Cancer
- Vocal cords spasm
- Asphyxiation
- Cardiovascular disease
- Premature death
NOx emissions and air pollution in general have become primary contributors to the annual tally of early deaths worldwide. The first case of premature death caused by air pollution happened in the UK in 2013. Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah had been in and out of hospitals for months when she died after a severe asthma attack. She walked every day from their home to school. She lived with her mother in one of the most polluted areas in the UK.
In December 2020, the coroner officially ruled Ella’s death was caused by air pollution.
Car owners who could not yet decide to shift to electric vehicles need to only look at the list of health impacts linked to diesel vehicles. Car owners affected by the diesel emissions scandal know all this too well.
What’s the diesel emissions scandal?
The diesel emissions scandal, officially known as Dieselgate, broke out in September 2015 and initially involved only the Volkswagen Group. US authorities allegedly discovered defeat devices in VW and Audi diesel vehicles sold in the American market. The carmaker received a Notice of Violation and was ordered to recall the hundreds of thousands of affected vehicles throughout the United States.
A defeat device can detect when the vehicle is installed in is in a laboratory for regulatory testing. When it does, it temporarily reduces emissions to levels recommended by the WHO. So, to regulators monitoring the test, the vehicle appears emissions-compliant and environmentally safe. The truth, however, is that defeat device-equipped diesel vehicles are high-polluting.
When the vehicle is brought out of the lab and driven on real roads, it emits voluminous amounts of NOx, sometimes in levels over the EU and WHO limits. Volkswagen lied to their customers and mis-sold high-polluting vehicles as emissions-compliant ones.
Some of the carmakers that followed VW’s path include BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Vauxhall.
What’s my diesel claim about?
Car owners affected by the diesel emissions scandal are encouraged to file a diesel claim against their carmakers. This will allow them to receive compensation for the deceit and illegal actions of the manufacturers.
However, before starting your emission claim with the help of an emissions expert, you should first verify if you are eligible to receive compensation. It’s a simple process – just visit ClaimExperts.co.uk and you’ll find all the information you need there.
