Leasing An EV Is The Greenest Option When There Is No Viable Alternative 

Leasing An EV Is The Greenest Option When There Is No Viable Alternative 

An annual survey of road traffic trends has revealed that there is “no viable alternative” to driving for many road users, according to a leading motoring expert, and therefore leasing an electric vehicle (EV) is the best option for drivers wanting to reduce their carbon impact and improve vehicle emissions. 

The National Travel Survey (NTS) is a study of driving trends in England and is used annually by the Government to analyse how people take trips and what modes of transport they prefer. The results of the study, published by the RAC, have revealed that the number of ‘trips’ taken by people in 2023 has increased by 6% on average to 915, or 18 per week. However, these ‘trip rates’ remain 4% lower than pre-COVID pandemic levels. Trip rates include every time someone leaves the house, whether that is walking, cycling, using public transport, driving a car or being a passenger in a car. 

Other findings of the survey were that bus trip rates increased by 8% from 2022 to 2023, but remained significantly below pre-pandemic levels, while rail journeys accounted for just 2% of trips made by people. Meanwhile cars remained the most popular mode of travel, making up 60% of all trips made in 2023 and 78% of total distance travelled. At a time when we are being encouraged to reduce our carbon footprint and opt for more environmentally friendly transport options such as cycling and public transport, it’s concerning that car use still remains the most popular choice.  

Public transport “not working for people” 

This increased reliance on cars since the pandemic could be a legacy of the fear of spreading germs in confined public spaces, and the fact that driving a car is a more isolated mode of transport, which was encouraged by the Government during the pandemic. This trend could also be a result of falling standards of public transport and the rising costs of rail transport, making driving the cheaper option for many travellers.  

The annual NTS report is studied by the Department for Transport (DfT) and used to shape future policy, and RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis commented: “It’s abundantly clear that the private car remains the mode of choice for journeys over a mile in length, despite the fact that the proportion of households with access to a car has remained broadly flat for the last 50 years. And while the average distance travelled by bus has crept up slightly this year, it’s still the case that these figures are down hugely compared to the start of the century – reinforcing the fact that many local bus services, where they still exist, simply aren’t working for people. In the case of the latter, it’s clear many people feel they have no viable alternatives to the car for the trips they need to make.” 

Leasing an EV through Pink Car Leasing 

A reform of public transport is one of the many issues on the agenda for the new Labour Government, but in the meantime, anyone wanting to reduce their carbon impact is left with little alternative than to use the car. And in that respect, driving a zero-emission EV is the best option.  

At Pink Car Leasing we have a wide range of EVs available which caters for all vehicle sectors. So whether your car journeys suit a small, city run-about, a family SUV, a luxury executive vehicle or a high performance vehicle, we have the carbon-efficient option for you. If you lease an electric vehicle from Pink Car Leasing you can benefit from the vast investment in EV technology made by the world’s biggest motoring brands, including Tesla, BMW, Toyota, Nissan and Volkswagen. All these brands have incorporated EVs into their core range, signalling that car journeys by EV are the future. Check out our EV range and lease an EV through Pink Car Leasing today.