New EV battery rule 'would remove fear'

Ministers are being urged to introduce a formal battery health certificate for used electric vehicles (EVs) after a survey indicated there is widespread lack of confidence in them. Some 2% of respondents to a poll of 11,833 AA members whose main car is not an EV said they believe the batteries typically last longer than petrol and diesel engines.

This is despite research finding modern EV batteries achieve comparable longevity with internal combustion engines. Ginny Buckley, chief executive of EV advice website Electrifying.com – which partnered with the AA in conducting the survey last month – said the “significant gap between perception and reality” of EV batteries demonstrates the need for standardised tests and documentation.

She told the Press Association: “When you sell a house, buyers expect to see an energy performance certificate (EPC), it’s a simple way of understanding its energy efficiency. There’s no reason why electric cars shouldn’t work the same way.

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“A clear, standardised measure of battery health, independently checked and updated at MOT stage once a car is over three years old, would take much of the fear out of buying a used EV – and unlock the used market faster than short-term incentives.”