Written evidence from Mr T Salmon (ELV0006)

I have owned a battery electric car for two years now. I have a Kia Niro 64kW with a wltp range of 283 miles.

From this perspective, I would like to add my weight to the conversation.

1. I can charge at home on my domestic tariff and it is much cheaper that petrol or diesel - 7.5p per mile vs. 16p per mile.

2. The public charger network is thin on the ground. It can be expensive and/or unreliable. There are too many different ways of working with the multitude of providers.

3. I've learnt that the main issue with owning an EV is that you do need to plan your journeys. If you don't you will suffer from "range anxiety". Emergency journeys can be achieved with reliable rapid charging (50kW and above).

What do I think needs to be done?

1. First and foremost climate change is here and deadly (the wildfires, flooding, loss of sea ice and glaciers only seem to get worse).

2. Moving or changing the deadline does not seem to be an option.

3. Encourage alternative fuels like green hydrogen. I would like to see a future with main power sources; batteries and hydrogen fuel cells. Rather like the petrol and diesel that we have now.

4. The EU are wrong in their support for e-fuels. The noxious gasses from the tail pipe still pollutes and endangers public health.

5. Crack down on the mass of misinformation in the media. This is misleading and promotes the anti EV agenda.

6. Introduce a scrappage scheme, to encourage people to go electric, as the zero vehicle tax is phased out.

7. Encourage local councils to increase the number of public chargers. Some councils (Dorset) seem to get it right and some (Wiltshire) seem to get it wrong.

8. Streamline the process for new public charger installations to speed up the installation.

9. Allow people, with no off street parking, to easily put a channel in the pavement outside their property so that they can charge at home without trailing cables in an unsafe manner.

10. Regulate the public charger companies to: control over pricing; unify the process for starting and paying for a charging session

11. Bring the public charger VAT rate inline with the domestic electricity rate.

12. Classify the public charger companies as electricity suppliers and make them subject to the electricity price cap.