No One Left Behind: Fair Access to Clean Mobility
Eloise Sacares (NG 2018)
Eloise Sacares (NG 2018), Senior Researcher in UK Vehicles Policy at Transport & Environment UK, is at the forefront of efforts to ensure the UK’s transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is fair, affordable and inclusive, with her first major briefing: “No One Left Behind: Unlocking Affordable Clean Mobility”.
The research shows how high upfront and leasing costs currently prevent many lower‑income households from accessing EVs. As a result, wealthier households benefit from lower running costs, while others remain dependent on older, more expensive and polluting petrol and diesel vehicles.
The report proposes introducing social leasing in the UK through three options:
🚗 Pure Social Leasing, reducing EV lease costs to around £77 per month for households in the bottom half of the income distribution
📦 Bundled Social Leasing, a £222 monthly package for key workers and rural residents covering the vehicle, insurance, maintenance and charging
♻️ Scrappage‑For‑Leasing, allowing drivers to trade in older petrol or diesel cars for a discounted EV lease
Eloise has highlighted, the success of social leasing in France, which illustrates that when the economics work, electric vehicles quickly become the popular choice. France has since committed to further investment in electrification, including the renewal of its social leasing scheme for an additional 100,000 households.
Investing in social leasing, she notes, would cost the government less per year, while delivering long‑term benefits - including up to 950,000 additional battery electric vehicles on UK roads by 2035.
You can read the briefing in the link below: