I’m a car expert and second hand cars could get older drivers to switch to EVs
Experts have outlined ways to get older drivers to transition to electric cars as recent data shows a lack of demand among the elderly population.
It comes after a poll from Carwow found that drivers aged 55 and over were most reluctant to make the switch.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Fiona Howarth, founder of Octopus Electric Vehicles warned older motorists were intrigued by the technology but many hadn’t decided to make the leap.
She said: “We used to do a lot of events in city centres and stuff and we used to have a really high proportion of retired people who used to come along and talk to us about EVs and were really curious about it.
“There’s a segment of the retired population who are really curious about new technologies and they care about legacy.
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“They have more time and they have more appetite to leave behind a planet that’s better for the world.
“What was interesting over the last few years because a lot of the EVs have gone through companies and a lot of the incentives have been through business, it means it hasn’t been accessible to that retired market.”
However, Ms Howarth stressed a possible drop in the cost of second-hand electric vehicles could provide an opening.
She added: “In the retired communities we have less of them because of the incentives so far. I think over time they will take it up and I think having people driving the cars will help.
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“Actually now that we see more affordable cars come out as well, that’s making it more accessible to a broader segment of the population. I am excited for that audience as they discover it more.”
Octopus ev admitted that just three percent of their clients were over the age of 60 with 10 percent over 55 years old.
But, 23 percent were over 50 highlighting a demand among the middle-ages which could soon transition to friends and family slightly older.
However, there are still two simple concerns among this older demographic which will be hard to shake.
Carwow found that a staggering 67 percent of drivers above the age of 55 say the price of EV models was currently putting them off making the switch.
They are also concerned over a lack of charging infrastructure with 43 percent citing this as a major barrier to adoption.
This compares to just 23 percent of motorists under the age of 44 who are less concerned about topping up.
Toddington Harper, CEO of GRIDSERVE told Express.co.uk that experts needed to break down misconceptions to attract elderly motorists.
He explained: “The fear that people might have that there won’t be a charger, certainly on the motorway network, is dramatically reduced from what it was a few years ago.
“People might not necessarily know that now because people don’t necessarily know unless they’ve got an electric car how much change has happened in the last few years.”
He added: “In terms of cost the economics of driving electric vehicles is better from a lifetime view than petrol and diesel because the cost of running them is lower.
“The issue we have all faced in the last couple of years, in particular, due to the war in Ukraine and the corresponding price increase that’s had on the price of natural gas. It’s just made electricity very expensive.”
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