Tesla’s launch of an affordable electric car will build pressure on local and national policy makers to establish a more robust charging infrastructure and the need to provide a highly skilled maintenance workforce, the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has said.
IMI COO, Lesley Woolley said: “Tesla’s launch of an ‘affordable car’ will quickly change the public’s perception of these cars and boost demand further; it’s time for government to increase the pace of change by providing charging points across major cities and throughout the road network.”
“The government will also need to focus on the skills base required to keep these cars on the road.
“With only 1,000 technicians currently qualified in the UK, they have some way to go.”
The Tesla Model 3 received 115,000 pre-orders on Sunday and by the end of Monday a total of 276,000 orders had been made.
Skills shortage
The steady growth of interest in electric vehicles has been shown in research commissioned by the IMI that found London voters believe electric vehicles will solve the capital’s pollution problem.
The research that found six in ten Londoners are worried about the environment and the long-term impact of air pollution, which claims over 10,000 lives a year in the city.
The institution has said that once drivers realise the real capabilities of green cars the desire will drive a surge in sales.
In the last three years, the UK has seen a rise in demand for plug-in cars with registrations increasing from 3,500 in 2013 to 48,000 by the end of 2015.
To find out more about the IMI, follow the ‘more details’ link below.