Net Zero Week 2025: What’s really holding back the UK’s electric vehicle revolution?

Electric vehicles (EV) are positioned as the future of transport – but in the UK, the switch isn’t happening fast enough to hit our net-zero targets by 2050.

Professor Rohit Bhagat, Director of Coventry University’s Research Centre for E-Mobility and Clean Growth (CECG) explains some of the challenges slowing EV adoption and how our research is supporting the shift to low-carbon transport.

The electric revolution is underway - but not at the speed we need

Out of the 42 million vehicles on UK roads, only 1.3 million are fully electric. Almost a fifth of new car registrations in 2024 were zero emission vehicles, providing hope that EVs are beginning to enter mass adoption. However, given rising fuel costs, growing environmental awareness and public support for sustainability, many might have expected a faster switch.

While the UK has made progress, we’re still trailing global leaders such as China and Scandinavian countries. Ambitious targets to phase out petrol and diesel cars by 2035 risk remaining as mere spoken words unless the government steps up with stronger incentives to encourage the public to make the transition.

What’s holding drivers back?

Range anxiety and access to charging remain key concerns, with many drivers uncertain whether they can access a charger as easy as a petrol station when its needed. Then there’s the recharge time – a quick fuel stop takes minutes, but charging an EV can take half an hour or more, since not all charging points offer fast speeds. On top of that, higher upfront costs continue to put potential buyers off.

We live in a society that moves at full speed, and with patience in short supply, long waits at charging points don’t fit into busy schedules. Although the UK now has more EV chargers than petrol stations, slow and inconvenient access is a continuous problem. To bring us closer to EVs charging on the move, our Research Centre for Transport and Cities (FTC) is helping to develop technology that wirelessly charges electric vehicles as they pass over metal coils embedded in the road. Designed for buses, taxis and delivery vans, this technology could allow vehicles keep driving without long charging stops, cutting emissions while reflecting the realities of urban transport, where every minute counts.

For many living in urban areas without driveways or garages, charging an EV at home can be a real difficulty. In Coventry 47% of households lack off-street parking, which is why FTC is backing the Levelling Up Coventry’s EV Adoption Journey. As part of this, we’re trialling a mobile charging unit that can be used at any location and developing tools to help city planners map where chargers are needed most.

Residual values

There is a good understanding of second-hand values of conventional cars allowing leasing and PCP to work effectively, based on years of understanding. As the battery represents up to 50% of the costs of an EV the residual performance of the battery pack is directly linked to the residual value of the car. So EVs typically have lower residual values as people need to be convinced that the battery will last. Also, insurance costs of EVs are higher as when an EV is involved in an accident it is more likely to be written off.

A mixed-technology approach

That said, we can’t narrow battery-powered EVs as the only option. Perhaps the greatest thing we’ve learned so far about technology is that what works today could be replaced tomorrow. Decarbonising transport at scale will require a mix of technologies – especially for freight, aviation and other high-demand sectors.

Every day, we keep an open mind and push the limits of what’s possible, because the journey to net zero won’t be solved by one single technology. The Clean Futures programme reflects this, as we fund and guide businesses to develop different types of green transport technologies. We’re also exploring different energy pathways entirely - from trialling zero-emission electric freight vehicles across Europe to developing hydrogen propulsion for future aircraft with ZeroAvia.

Enticing people to transition to EVs is what is needed now to move closer to our targets, but ultimately, the road to net zero isn’t about one technology winning out - it’s about building a transport system flexible enough to meet diverse needs, reducing emissions across all sectors and adapting quickly as new breakthroughs emerge.

Contact Professor Rohit Bhagat.

Find out more about the Research Centre for E-Mobility and Clean Growth.