Renault Group UK managing director Adam Wood has called on the government to run an awareness campaign to boost confidence in electric cars and to improve understanding of government plans to transition new car buyers to electric vehicles by 2030.
Wood returned to Renault UK at the end of last year after a stint as Vauxhall’s UK boss, having started his career with the French brand. His timing coincided with a strong increase in sales for Renault in 2024 and a boost to its market share.
Speaking as Renault’s latest all-electric model, the multi-award-winning Renault 5 E-Tech, goes on sale in the UK, Wood told The Independent, “does the public have enough awareness around EVs? I’d like to see some sort of ad campaign to dispel the myths and build confidence in EVs.
“Consumers had constant messaging about the digital radio switchover and the turn off of analogue radio,” says Wood. “That did the job of raising awareness and increasing the take up of a new technology.”
Wood is brand head for Renault in the UK but also responsible for other Group brands Dacia and Alpine. He confirmed that Renault’s response to the government’s consultation on its Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate and the 2030 switch was under way, and called on grants for EV buyers to help boost take up, which is lagging behind government targets.
“We welcome the consultation from the government – from our point of view it’s a team game and we’ve all got to play our part.
“But we’re not seeing the demand curve meet the mandate curve. I think a grant would be a clear signal of commitment that is easily understood. And we’ve seen the precedent in Europe for what incentives can do.”
Wood is confident that Renault will meet the 2025 ZEV Mandate target of 28 per cent of sales being fully electric. “Our intention is to comply with the legislation,” he said.
The new Renault 5 arrives in showrooms in April, while the all-electric Scenic enters its first full year of sales in 2025. Last year, just 15 per cent of Renaults sold were fully electric, some way below the government’s 2024 targets. However, with the Scenic only on sale in the second half of the year, 22 per cent of Renault’s cars were then electric.
The new Renault 5 was recently named 2025 European Car of the Year, What Car? Car of the Year and Top Gear Car of the Year. Renault already won the 2024 European Car of the Year with the Scenic E-Tech, and has the all-electric Mégane on sale. At the end of this year, another retro-modern electric Renault arrives in the shape of a reborn Renault 4.
Value brand Dacia currently sells the Spring, Britain’s cheapest new EV with prices starting at £14,995, while sporting brand Alpine will bring the A290 (a hot version of the new Renault 5) and the A390 coupé SUV to the UK this year.
