Professor Hannah Daly:

I thank the Deputy. As a long distance driver, he is the market that needs to be targeted at the earliest opportunity for EV adoption because long-distance drivers have the most to gain from electrification. They would save a huge amount in fuel, but it is also the largest market in terms of CO2 per person.

While new sodium ion batteries and so on with longer range at lower cost are coming down the line, we should not peg our hopes on technological breakthroughs. The current battery technology is already really good. What is not good enough is our charging infrastructure. Any of the typical new EVs on the market would enable people to reach most parts of the country on a single charge. However, people need to be guaranteed parking at charging points. We need guaranteed workplace charging and charging for those staying somewhere overnight. We also need rapid chargers on the network.

We also had a discussion on SUVs or luxury cars as status symbols. Public opinion about what is or is not high status can change very quickly. It does not have to take the form of taxation and so on; rather, it is about sending a signal that driving with a high bonnet, especially in urban areas, is really antisocial unless people need to have or are commercial users of such cars. People will respond to that social signal very quickly if that is made clear.