1 February 2021
EVA England began operating in June 2020 and was set up to offer a voice to both current and prospective electric vehicle (EV) drivers in England. In advance of opening to members in March, EVA England has launched a new website which aims to provide information and support to consumers with EVs or those looking to make the switch. Established and run by a group of dedicated volunteers, EVA England has gone from strength to strength since its inception in summer 2020.
What has EVA England achieved so far?
We’ve achieved significant reach across consumer bodies, industry, Government bodies and our sister EV associations and EV groups in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and partners in the Global EV Alliance. We have learnt so much and will continue to foster and build upon those and many other partnerships in the coming months and years.
On a practical note, one of our first tangible actions was to survey consumers for their input into the Government’s consultation on the phase out date for new petrol and diesel internal combustion engine vehicles. We recommended 2030 or as soon as possible after 2030 as an achievable date for this, based on the results from over 1,100 survey responses from drivers through help of networks including EV Groups Nexus. EVA England welcomed the Government’s November 2020 announcement about the phase out of new petrol and diesel cars, and has been busy working to build public understanding about this change by sharing stories from EV drivers about their experiences.
EVA England was delighted to attend and present at the launch of the Government’s EV Energy Taskforce in October 2020, and continues to engage with the Taskforce on best mechanisms to promote EVs and smart charging to the general public.
Implementing robust foundations to do the best for our future membership base is a priority for EVA England. We have been busy working behind the scenes to put in place the right processes and systems to ensure that our members will have a seamless and most of all, valuable, experience as members of EVA England. We’ve learnt that all this takes time – but we are almost there!
We also have an amazing line up of Honorary Members, all passionate about the EV cause – find out who our Honorary Members are on our website.
What’s in the EVA England zero emission pipeline?
Opening to members
Listening to what prospective members want from an organisation like EVA England has been key – and we’re shaping up our membership benefits package to reflect what you’ve told us you want! Our aim is to open up to paying members in March 2021. We really hope that those of you who are already EV drivers and those of you who are interested in joining this community will sign up.
New website
EVA England is delighted to launch its new look website for anyone with even a passing interest in electric vehicles. More features, news items and blogs, as well as resources, useful links and information will be added regularly. If you’d like to contribute a blog or news item, please let us know.
A voice into Government policy on EVs
Building on the success of our first survey on Government policy in July 2020, we will be issuing a survey to all EV and non-EV drivers through our social media and partner networks, on the forthcoming UK Government Consumer Experience of Public Charging Consultation. More news on that in the coming weeks.
This is a key moment for EV drivers to feedback their views to Government on the current charging network in England, and how the consumer experience can be improved, to enable a really rapid expansion of EVs to 2030 and beyond.
EVA England looks forward to engaging with you, listening to and acting on the needs of EV drivers as we continue to grow, open to members, and expand our offering.