Closing the Gap to an EV Future

How do we rally society behind EVs? My takeaways from our panel discussion in Munich

The shift from the internal combustion engine to electric vehicles is the greatest technological transformation for the automobile in over a century. But as the car industry redesigns vehicles, remodels factories, and reimagines mobility for the future, the big question is: how do we make a success of this transition without causing a societal backlash?

I tackled this complex topic with Jennifer Baker on the sidelines of the IAA Mobility in Munich alongside automotive expert Prof. Dr. Stefan Bratzel, Prof. Dr.; behavioral scientist Vanessa H.; member of the German Bundestag Thomas Heilmann; and Ford’s Managing Director for the frontrunner EV market of Norway, Per Gunnar Berg.

We had a fascinating discussion. What are the main barriers which play on people’s minds when they are weighing up whether to buy an EV? What challenges must the industry and policymakers tackle to overcome these barriers? And how can we approach them in ways that don’t risk sparking resistance? My main takeaways are:

1. So far, the transition to EVs shows there is good reason to be optimistic: Electric cars continue to gain market share. The number of Europeans considering buying one is steadily growing. And the vast majority who own an EV would never consider going back to a petrol or diesel model. That’s because EVs are quite simply the better cars, or to quote my colleague Per Gunnar, they’re “cooler, faster, cleaner, silent”.

2. We are now at a critical juncture as EVs cease being only for early adopters and become a mass technology. Usage data from current EV owners shows that EVs can completely satisfy their needs in terms of performance and range. And the more that people see friends and family driving an EV, the more they gain confidence and want one for themselves. That is encouraging, but we cannot be complacent that mass uptake is a done deal.

3. What people believe and what they actually do are sometimes at odds with each other, which presents a challenge for automakers. I was fascinated with Vanessa Hirneis’s observation that people often showcase an “attitude-behavior gap”. From Ford’s research, we know that most people care about the environment but that isn’t enough of a reason in itself to buy an EV. Practical considerations like reliability, cost efficiency, and comfort are still very much top of mind for car buyers: this must be reflected in the way we design and market EVs. The good news is that once people experience EVs, they’re hooked. By (literally) getting people into EVs, the real-world experience turns once-skeptical drivers into EV advocates.

4. Driving range is still the single biggest concern for prospective customers, but motorists have a tendency to over-estimate their actual needs. Human psychology has a lot to do with this. The paradox we see at Ford is that today’s EV owners actually drive further and longer than ICE owners, yet it's still the ICE owners who are most reluctant to consider an EV due to concerns about its range. Behavioral science could tell us a lot about how to address this mismatch between perceptions and reality.

5. Vanessa also emphasized the importance of authenticity. It’s hard for customers to take companies seriously if they brandish their sustainability credentials while also polluting heavily. We at Ford need to do more to transparently inform our customers that we’re not simply selling EVs, we are quickly moving towards a carbon neutral future, in manufacturing, logistics and direct suppliers by 2035.

6. It would be a disaster if EVs became a political football. Thomas Heilmann acknowledged that some politicians in Europe and elsewhere have sought to stoke a backlash against EVs for political gain. From my personal perspective, this would be a huge mistake. European motorists’ intention to buy an EV is growing with each year that passes, and that is to everyone’s benefit. We absolutely need to resist any divisive characterization of EVs which puts that growth at risk.

7. Finally, a lot can be done to ease the way to mass adoption, not least when it comes to public policy. Per Gunner shared lessons from Norway, an EV-first country where 86% of new sales are EVs. Charging anxiety becomes a distant memory once charging infrastructure is scaled up, hence should be front and centre in policymakers’ minds if they want to emulate this success. Our evidence shows that the more that motorists see chargers (and, crucially, visible evidence of them) in car parks, shopping centres and at their place of work, the more relaxed and accepting they become about EVs.