Motability Operations employees will take to the road today in the annual Electric Vehicle Rally of Scotland (EVROS), highlighting the challenges faced by disabled EV (electric vehicle) users.
The 600-mile EVROS route starts in Inverness with participants following much of the iconic North Coast 500 route before heading south to finish in Edinburgh tomorrow.
As a company leading the way in the EV transition, Motability Operations is one of the 10 teams all driving electric cars and vans in the rally. Stopping at charging hubs and clean energy projects, as well as historical landmarks and visitor attractions, the route includes some of the most challenging and scenic roads in Scotland.
Motability Operations runs the Motability Scheme, through which more than 80,000 disabled people in Scotland lease an affordable and accessible vehicle. EVs are an increasingly significant proportion of the Motability Operations fleet, and this week the company’s Scottish team handed over its 5,000th EV to a Motability Scheme customer.
Motability Operations is supporting its customers in the transition to EVs, so they can remain mobile and independent as the automotive industry shifts to electric. If the transition works for its customers, it argues, then it will work for everyone.
EVROS takes place in the wake of a recent Consumer Scotland report, which revealed that 73% of EV users still prefer to charge at home, with the rally presenting an opportunity for participants to highlight the successes of Scotland’s charging networks as well as its challenges.
Separate research conducted by Motability Operations found that more than half its customers do not have access to off-street parking, with 72% saying they are not confident about public charging. One-third of customers also said they had had a poor experience when using chargepoints.
Understanding that there are barriers and challenges its customers must confront when thinking about EVs, Motability Operations has partnered with various organisations and local authorities to create innovative solutions for its customers. It also supports Transport Scotland’s vision to improve Scotland’s public EV charging network.
The Motability Operations team for the rally includes Matthew Evans, an EV Specialist at the company. Evans, who is also a Scheme customer, will drive to the start of the rally from his home city of Newport. He will make the journey in his Motability Scheme EV fitted with adaptations to help him drive with ease and powered by the public charging network in Wales, England and Scotland.
Matthew said: “I’m proud to be representing Motability Operations and our customers at this year’s EV rally of Scotland. This is a great opportunity to not only celebrate the progress that has been made in developing the public charging network, but also raise awareness of the accessibility challenges myself and other Scheme customers face when using the network. I’m looking forward to sharing my story and seeing how far our public charging infrastructure has come.”
Gavin Thomson, chief operating officer and managing director at Motability Operations will also join Matthew on the EV Rally, said: “We are excited to see the industry come together for this year’s EVROS event which is supported by Transport Scotland and the Highland Council. This kind of collaboration is key to making sure the transition to EVs work for all.
“Although 5000 of our Scheme customers in Scotland have been able to make an EV work for them, we are aware of the barriers and challenges that many others face when thinking about making the switch. We’ve partnered with various organisations across the UK to find solutions for our customers and we’re looking to build more connections in the industry.
“We are proud to represent the UK’s largest EV fleet and while we might not be breaking any speed records at this rally, we are championing our message: that collaboration is key in the switch to net zero. We are looking forward to taking our message on the road.”
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