Confidence is a virtue and the whole car market needs more of it

In recent times, the car market has been lacking one thing more than any other – confidence. Car buyers aren’t sure what to buy, or whether to buy anything at all. Car manufacturers can’t tell which legislative, economic or geopolitical maelstrom they’re going to be clobbered by next. A little confidence, maybe even some optimism, would do everyone the world of good. 

When you look down the track, or read the tattered newspaper being buffeted along it by the bitter north wind, it can seem that there’s little respite ahead. 

Last week, fuel prices spiked again as America consolidated its position up the Strait of Hormuz, without a paddle. Then the Volkswagen Group confirmed the plan we reported in July – cut 100,000 jobs and slice the model range in half to cut costs. 

The German giant had seemed to be operating its multi-brand portfolio better than some, but market forces, along with some notable product missteps in the rush to electrify, look to have taken their toll. 

What we can say with confidence is that a bounceback already seems to be under way. The Cupra Raval and ID. Polo really are superb small EVs – standard setters, no less. The new Audi A2, meanwhile, appears to share the innovative soul of the original. 

While we’re on the subject of EVs and optimism, another of the doubts surrounding them has been dented. Long term battery life – along with range, charging and whether you can take one through a car wash – was a big source of ‘the jitters’ for buyers, often perpetuated by those with vested interests in maintaining petrol hegemony. 

Now we have the results of a 500,000-car global study carried out by some Austrians – usually a reliable bunch, with one notable exception – that shows EV batteries lasting a lot longer than some expected. 

None of the 20 models tested saw an average drop in their battery’s ‘state of health’ of more than 10 per cent in the first 50km (31,000 miles), with the best still above 95 per cent on average. This might not sound like much, but it should be a source of confidence to those thinking of buying an EV. The kind of buoyancy, in fact, that has been showing in the UK car market. 

UK new car registrations saw a ninth month of consecutive growth in August – with electric, hybrid and PHEV cars accounting for 57 per cent of the market, and particularly strong sales figures for the new breed of long-range PHEVs. 

The car industry is navigating some choppy waters at the moment, but I hope you’ll agree there are good signs, and perhaps even feel slightly more confident than you did a few paragraphs ago. 

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