Day one of the EV SUMMIT 2024 is over, and a key theme of consumer confidence came to the forefront
And just like that, day one of the EV SUMMIT 2024 is coming to a close.
As the delegates filter into AFRY’s evening networking reception in the new-and-improved partner pavilion, it’s time to reflect on an action-packed day of emobility collaboration. This year’s EV SUMMIT is focused on This time, collaboration, education, and, crucially, the issue of consumer confidence, took centre stage.
We kicked off the day in unparalleled fashion, with a staggering performance from Violeta Vicci, whose affinity with nature rang through the room. Her violin, loop-pedal and vocal combo coupled with a beautiful montage that reminded the room of the world we’ve gathered here to save.
Ade Thomas, the EV SUMMIT’s mastermind, was joined on stage by Green.TV Media’s new Director of Emobility and renowned EV trailblazer, Gill Nowell.
Gill said:
“Now in its seventh year, working in partnership, it’s clear that we have together created something very, very special. The leading high-level business platform for the decarbonisation of mobility.”
Gill summed up the aims of this year’s EV SUMMIT succinctly. In fostering the early mainstream audience, we’re fighting a cultural engagement battle.
She continued:
“With the media assault on emobility that some of us may have come across, as we enter the early mainstream, it has become a cultural engagement challenge, however it is a challenge that I feel we are uniquely placed to deal with.”
This quote lined up day one perfectly. Encouraging the early mainstream is a cultural engagement challenge, and the EV SUMMIT assembled the perfect team to tackle it head on.
Councillor Anna Railton explained the importance of trust in local charging infrastructure:
“Our experience here in Oxford is that provision of easy-to-use, reliable, affordable infrastructure increases EV adoption, which is why Oxfordshire has twice the EV uptake of the rest of the country.”
This theme of trust and confidence resonated throughout the day. Marc Palmer drew us into Auto Trader’s panel with a dissection of the prevalent issue of affordability that shrouds the sector. Here, the issue of consumer confidence in EVs took the form of transparency.
Marc Palmer, Head of Strategy and Insights, Auto Trader:
“There are a million views of new electric cars on Auto Trader every month. We need the people looking at those cars, considering an EV for their next car, to have the access to the information they need to make that choice.”
On the panel itself, the speakers discussed how the industry can better tackle the challenges of EV affordability.
Andrew Pilkington, Deputy CEO of Vinfast UK, said:
“There are examples now of a used EV being at the price point of an ICE car. What happens in that case, is the person chooses to buy the EV, because then they get all the benefits of ownership.”
Again, that key theme of confidence rang true, as when consumers want to invest, they’d like to be sure of their decision. The panel grappled with whether the next wave of buyers had enough information to be sure of their decision.
Mark Smith, Head of Fleet Sales and Certified Pre-Owned at Tesla, said:
“People buying a used car are quite sceptical, and buying a used EV, that scepticism is a little bit higher. It should be same journey, it should be the same experience for that customer, whether it be buying a new car or buying a pre-owned vehicle, it should be all about taking them through that journey, explaining the whole piece, not just the car but the charging side as well. It’s about having that peace of mind.”
Following this, EY shone a light on the US market, and the opportunities that are becoming plentiful there. With the partners of the upcoming US EV SUMMIT taking the stage, it was hard not to imagine these pivotal conversations happening state-side at the October event.
Marc Coltelli, Managing Director for the Americas and Global Emobility Leader for EY:
“The US is catching up fast. Only in the last 12 months, US car sales for EVs has jumped by 50%. The gap to close is still quite large, but as I say to everybody, Europe has had 10 years to get to this point. The US is anticipated to be at the same point Europe is today within the next 2 years.”
Toddington Harper, CEO of GRIDSERVE, added:
“It’s all future-focused, and that’s why investor confidence is so important, and what we see in the newspapers just isn’t very helpful. The more that the industry and people can do to increase confidence, the better, but that’s also where government support comes in. Certainly in the US, the Inflation Reduction Act and the support that’s available is pretty unprecedented.”
The morning drew to a close as Matt Galvin, Managing Director of Polestar UK & Ireland, with this succinct comment, showcasing the intrinsic connection between finance, support, and the inevitable end result: confidence.
Galvin stated:
“A sustainable future relies, in part, on the mass adoption of electric vehicles. For this to happen, customers need confidence, and incentives, to make the transition. Part of this question has been answered by our policymakers in government, and what we’re left with is a mandate that has, in my view, all of the sticks, and none of the carrots.”
Later, Sara Sloman, Chief Strategy Officer for Paythru, battled through the pain of a bike crash to continue the theme of the summit. She told a history of the challenges we’ve faced in building this near-fabled early mainstream audience.
Sloman said:
“We started out with range anxiety, vehicles, including my own, that could only do 80 or 90 miles. Then we had charging anxiety – will the charger work when I get there? Now I believe we have something called payment anxiety. That means when you get to that charger, will it take the payment I want? Do I have to download a bunch of apps? Will I have the connectivity to make this work?”
Anna Grau, Director of Fleet and Mobility Solutions for Visa, continued this theme with a much-needed fleet focus:
“Life is complicated for drivers and fleets because they’re managing and maintaining different payment cards and management tools. At the same time, we are seeing payment preferences going towards convenience and simplicity. So it’s clear that the solutions need to keep up with these demands.”
The emerging keys to EV confidence are convenience, simplicity, and affordability. Those considering a transition will feel good about doing so when the EVs will work reliably in their daily routines, and when they won’t break the bank with upfront costs.
EVolt Charging’s panel took a new approach, delving into how consumers and businesses may find other ways of developing confidence in their switch by using it as a source of revenue.
Lara Navetta, Sales Director for EVolt Charging, addressed similar concerns about upfront costs, but explained that they may quickly be offset.
She said:
“Given the significant investment required, shared infrastructure with reciprocal fleet arrangements opens the possibility to commerialise your charger, and create alternative revenue streams to offset this expense.”
Last, but certainly not least, ECOFACTOR hosted a discussion to dissect the tech we can employ to improve our charging infrastructure. Confidence is hopping in your EV without even questioning the charging infrastructure that you’d use along the way. This tech, if used correctly, could eliminate the aforementioned charging anxiety for consumers.
That level of confidence means different things to different people. For example, anyone living with physical disabilities may struggle with some aspects of charging infrastructure. A recent Vauxhall report highlighted just how prevalent this issue has become.
Mark Sherrard, Sales Director of InstaVolt, said:
“Accessibility is really key. By 2030, what should it look like? Really, the event of charging a car should be very straight forward. But there’s the physical aspect as well. There’s the weight, it’s a heavy cable, the industry should adopt standards to ensure that everybody can charge easily.”
The recurring theme of confidence carried throughout the day. Perhaps most interesting was the array of topics that the confidence issue drifted into. The positive, though, is that there is a path towards consumer confidence. As always, the EV SUMMIT is built for results. Aside from the bustling networking sessions that punctuated the day, this fist half of the EV SUMMIT highlighted how we, as an industry, can become more transparent and communicative to help would-be adopters make the switch. What’s more, upcoming technology can streamline operations, while open and positive collaboration will condense the tools that drivers need into neat packages that both support their journey, and propel emobility businesses to the next level.
Joanna Smith, Co-Founder and Owner of Wink Cars, summarised this sentiment perfectly:
“There’s not enough positive conversations, I mean the media slander EVs, but there’s not enough positive conversation with the people that can influence everyday people to go out and make their next car purchase an EV. I think that’s key. With the EV bubble we’re all in, the retailers know it’s the future, the government knows it’s the future, but it’s getting that message out to the general public, your next-door neighbours, your mums, uncles, aunties, to convince them to buy an EV for their next used car purchase.”
