IAM RoadSmart to host EV webinar with FairCharge founder and campaigner Quentin Willson

• FairCharge was founded by transport campaigner Quentin Willson to ensure the UK has the right EV-related policies.
• Fourth IAM RoadSmart member webinar of 2024

The UK’s leading road safety charity IAM RoadSmart is delighted to announce it will be joined by FairCharge founder and transport campaigner Quentin Willson for its fourth member exclusive webinar of the year on 21^st May 2024 at 6:30pm.

The session will discuss the impact electric vehicles have in decarbonising our transport network, the driveability of EVs, potential barriers to EV take-up and the role these vehicles will play in reducing casualties on our network. We’ll also separate the fact from the fiction by tackling the myths surrounding electric vehicles head-on. Recent research by motoring group the RAC* reveals 13% of drivers expect their next car to be electric, with others unsure and open to persuasion. The one-hour online event is an exclusive member-only session and comes off the back of three popular webinars already delivered this year.

Quentin Willson is a prominent transport campaigner and has established a career in broadcast journalism, having hosted BBC Top Gear and Channel 5’s Fifth Gear throughout the 90s and 00s. More recently, Quentin founded FairCharge – a campaign group focused on reducing barriers for electric vehicle users and increasing take-up by bringing the critical issues of charging costs, infrastructure, air quality and EV availability to the forefront of the political agenda.

The UK Government’s decision to push back the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030 to 2035* drew criticism from environmentalists and some in the automotive sector when the UK is striving to achieve net zero. In 2023**, electric vehicles made up 16.5% of all new registrations* in the UK, however the number of licenced electric vehicles makes up only 2.6%** of the overall vehicle parc. The zero-emission mandate sets an annual requirement for manufacturers to sell a minimum proportion of new zero-emission vehicles between now and 2030.

IAM RoadSmart Head of Membership Operations and Engagement Karolina Brzeska said:
“Whether or not to go electric is a question some households have already answered but many more are still debating. We’re delighted Quentin will join us to talk about his experiences, what drives his enthusiasm for these vehicles and why he is campaigning for change. We also hope the session will help many of our members who are curious about whether to make the leap to a zero-emission vehicle.”

Quentin Willson, Founder of FairCharge said: “IAM RoadSmart’s members are passionate about driving and I’m delighted to be joining this webinar to discuss all things-EV. We’re on the cusp of the biggest change to the automotive sector in its history and it’s vital that Government and industry does everything in its power to help drivers make the switch easily, affordably and with all the right information.”

The special guest webinars are a new service for members and an integral part of IAM RoadSmart’s quest to be digital to the core.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

*2023 RAC Report on Motoring https://www.rac.co.uk/report-on-motoring
** https://www.smmt.co.uk/2024/01/new-car-market-delivers-best-year-since-2019-as-fleets-fuel-growth/

***Licensed vehicles at the end of the year by body type and fuel type – end Q3 2023 (VEH1103b)

Details for members to register:

To register your interest in attending, please visit Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams

Biography:

Motoring journalist and transport campaigner, Quentin Willson, is one of Britain’s best known motoring media faces. He presented BBC 2 Top Gear for fifteen years along with Channel 5’s Britain’s Worst Driver, The Classic Car Show and BBC2’s The Car’s The Star and has written 11 global motoring books. He’s won the British Press Awards Motoring Writer of the Year, co-founded the FairFuel campaign, saving over £120 billion in planned fuel duty rises, and also founded FairCharge, an electric vehicle lobby group to help make EV transition accessible, affordable and to push the Government to deliver more charging infrastructure. Well known in Westminster and auto industry boardrooms, he’s been campaigning on UK automotive and transport issues for over 30 years, writes for car magazines and newspapers and is a regular transport commentator on TV and radio.

Press contacts:

Nicholas Lyes, Director of Policy and Standards, IAM Roadsmart

Rebecca Dundon, Press Officer, IAM RoadSmart

Press office – +44 (0) 20 8996 9777 – press.office@iam.org.uk

Follow us:
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/IAMRoadSmart
On Twitter: @IAMRoadSmart

For more information on FairChargehttps://www.faircharge.co.uk/