Celebrating and engaging with women on the journey to electric
Today, 49% of driving licences are held by women, who have more disposable wealth and independence than ever. They are the majority consumer in the UK and enjoy spending their considerable money on products that reflect their lifestyles, beliefs, desires and status. Cars, however, aren’t on that shopping list.
The automotive industry has been preparing for a significant step-change in the way they operate as more and more electric vehicles are produced, marketed and sold in the UK. And yet, as our new data shows, the gender gap is widening.
A third of men considered an electric car compared to one-fifth of women.
Why is this happening?
We carried out multiple research projects: one, a nationally representative survey of over 4,000 drivers and the other, backed by Hive from British Gas, a more personal approach to understanding how women think and feel about electric vehicles.
From a lack of relevant advice and content around running costs and charging, published where women are already engaged, to the differing primary worries female car buyers have from male car buyers (for instance, a significant concern of women, not expressed as frequently by men, is the possibility of running out of charge on a motorway with children in the back), the data demonstrates multiple challenges. Women are also less interested in the virtue-signalling potential of an electric car or buying a car for its advanced technology.
There can be no doubt that the growing gender gap around EVs is a missed opportunity for the industry and, such is the number of female motorists, may well be the blocker to mass adoption of EVs in the UK as we approach the Government deadline for the ban on selling new petrol and diesel engines in 2030 - a key deadline women are three times more likely to not be aware of than men.
What are the key barriers?
For many women, EVs simply feel like an extra hassle to contend with, rather than an exciting opportunity to enjoy new, sustainable technology that has many benefits.
But these benefits don’t seem to be getting across to the majority of women. Of the current EV owners in our research, there were more than double the number of men than women – with 16% of men owning an EV compared to 7% of women.
These insights are taken from our recent report “No Driver Left Behind: Women and the Journey to Electric”, to read the report in full, click here.
Celebrating the contribution of women to the electric vehicle sector
Another contributing factor in the disparity between men and women on the journey to electric is that the industry itself is dominated by men, with only 20% of the UK automotive industry workforce made up of women.
We therefore need to attract and retain more women in the industry to ensure that their car buying and ownership experiences are represented as we transition to electric.
One way to do this is to celebrate those women already making a huge impact in the EV space and that’s exactly what last week’s Top Women in EV sets out to do. Run by Green.TV media, this campaign is a one-week social media celebration, dedicated to showcasing the remarkable women who are leading the charge in e-mobility. By celebrating their accomplishments, we recognise the talent in the sector and hope this inspires others.
Top women in EV are nominated by their colleagues throughout December, January and February and then a panel of judges decide on the finalists, which are celebrated in the week leading up to International Women’s Day.
Since its inception in 2021, Top Women in EV has:
Recognised 210 women through the online campaign
Matched over 170 professionals through their mentoring scheme
Last week also saw the first in-person event for Top Women in EV which was hosted by Tesla.
A panel of experts discussed the findings of Auto Trader’s No Driver Left Behind report as well as looking at how the gender makeup of the industry impacts the end-user experience and so how male and female consumers can have different experiences in the EV sector.
At the Insights event, Erin Baker, our Editorial Director shared some key insights from Auto Trader’s No Driver Left Behind: Women and the journey to electric report.