Membership organisation Electric Vehicles UK (EVUK) has announced its board structure and executive team alongside its plans for the next year.
Following consultation with the EV industry, and “provisional activities” as an “industry-to-consumer accelerator”, the group has set itself up formally as a membership organisation for battery-electric vehicles (BEV).
CEO of the organisation will be Tanya Sinclair, who has worked for OEMs including Nissan, Tesla and LEVC, as well as being policy director at ChargePoint before running a consultancy business.
Chairperson will be another industry veteran, Dr Andy Palmer, who has held leadership positions at Nissan and Aston Martin, and is the founder and CEO of consultancy Palmer Automotive, as well as Palmer Energy Technology, an energy storage company, which recently acquired Oxford University spin-out Brill Power.
The two will work alongside founder of the organisation, Dan Caesar, who also works for EV exhibition and content business, Fully Charged/Everything Electric.
The membership organisation said it would reveal its full list of partners in October, including three OEMs and three non-OEM ‘super-partners’ who will also join the board. Two of the non-OEM partners are Octopus Energy and OVO Energy.
The body’s main campaigning message will be a “mission to drive demand for BEVs” with a #CheaperBetterBatteryElectric core message.
The organisation said rather than “rely on taxpayer funding” as a lobby group, it would instead initiate a 16-point programme of activities funded privately by the EV industry, which would target policymakers, the media, and the general public.
This activity included a survey of the sector to demonstrate its value, a consumer campaign to showcase the benefits of BEVs, and a test drive database to enable potential customers to try BEVs.
EVUK will kick-off its campaign with a combination of EV education and test drives at the Labour Party Conference in September, as well as an EV driver photocall at Everything Electric South in October, and a new event on LinkedIn called ‘Everyone Electric’.
Founder of EVUK, Dan Caesar, said:
“After 12 months of consulting with the EV industry in the UK, we can confirm that it is crying out for a seat around the policymaking table, as well as the opportunity to create a positive narrative around battery EVs, and to drive demand through marketing and test drives.
“That is what Electric Vehicles UK intends to deliver in the year ahead.”
Chairperson of EVUK, Dr Andy Palmer, added:
“The EV industry in the UK is at a crossroads. If it can convince policymakers, press and purchasers of the value that battery EVs offer for individuals, we can accelerate uptake of used and new EVs alike.
“Failure to capitalise on the economic and technological benefits of electrification of vehicles, and adjacent technologies, could hamstring us for decades.”
CEO of EVUK, Tanya Sinclair, concluded:
“Having spent over a decade in the sector, representing UK, US, and Asian-based companies, I recognise the globalised complexity of our industry’s current challenges.
“This is why it’s refreshing to take on the leadership of an organisation that’s focused on ‘driving demand’ and delivering tangible results for our industry as a whole and our partners in particular.”
Fiona Howarth, Founder & Director of Octopus Electric Vehicles, said:
“EVUK has done a fantastic job in its launch year, and Dr Andy Palmer and Tanya Sinclair’s arrival demonstrates the ambition they have to advance battery electric vehicles.
“Both have incredible experience and EVUK’s initiatives could not come at a more important time. We look forward to working with them to make the case that electric vehicles are not just the future, but are cheaper and better for consumers right now.”
Alex Thwaites, Director of EV at OVO, said:
“We’re excited to join EVUK as a superpartner, at a pivotal time for the industry.
“By working together, we can make it easier for households across the UK to switch to electric, reduce their carbon footprint, and be rewarded for embracing the green transition.”
Image from Shutterstock
