EV Masterclass sparks debate

Leading experts shared insights and passionate views for and against electric vehicles at MICA’s EV Masterclass on 2 October. An engaged audience from all areas of the automotive industry gathered at the Advanced Propulsion Centre in Coventry to listen, discuss and take a tour.

AutoTrader editorial director Erin Baker gave her insights into getting consumers excited about electric cars rather than drowning their enthusiasm in statistics.  She added to the technical briefings with communications-specific guidance that a successful EV transition requires a content transformation, with brands showing how their unique attributes meet customers’ lifestyle needs. Such story telling would help counter the resistance to EVs identified in Autotrader’s “Road to 2030” report, she said.

The APC’s Prof Dave Greenwood gave the case for battery electric vehicles, considering issues such as improving battery chemistry and charging infrastructure.

Emissions Analytics’ Nick Molden challenged the assumptions about our choices, warning against closing our minds to alternative solutions to reducing emissions, such as synthetic fuels. He also highlighted details not always considered, such as increased tyre emissions from heavier vehicles.

Polestar acting head of product communications Graeme Lambert highlighted how the brand captured the market thanks to timing and transparent communications such as publishing the lifecycle emissions of each car in the lineup.

JLR’s Group Product Owner, Sustainable Future Transport Engineering Research Marcus Henry talked about the company’s journey to sustainability. This included the vital topic of whole-life vehicle emissions – and he argued that everything is recyclable, it’s just a matter of an economic case for it, concluding that “BEVs are always better than ICE cars on lifetime analysis”.

Vicky Read, CEO of ChargeUK, provided the voice of the companies which install and operate the network of charge points. She highlighted difficulties around grid connections, planning permission and VAT, but finished with a call for collaboration to overcome these challenges. Answering the question if the UK has enough charge points for today’s electric vehicle parc, Vicky pointed to near enough one charger to every BEV (currently approx one million of each).