More than 70% of car buyers would consider an electric vehicle according to a new survey carried out by the AA and Populus for today’s LowCVP conference today (Thursday 12th July).
With more than 10,000 drivers taking part, the survey is both encouraging and worrying. The remaining 30% of those questioned stated that they ‘will never buy one’.
Considering the UK Government’s Road to Zero strategy published earlier this week, and the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 2040 – though hybrids look likely to escape the ban – some drivers are likely to change their mind in the future, either by persuasion of through lack of other options.
The minority who are not interested in electric vehicles at all could perhaps be explained by additional statistics, which show that half of young people would like an EV, with only a quarter of those in the age group representing their parents considering one.
According to the survey, the major barriers behind EV uptake include purchase price and availability of public charge points. Other concerns included uncertainty about the technology, driving range, availability and accessibility of charge points, battery life, and maintenance infrastructure.
More than a third believe there isn’t enough choice, while more than three quarters of those questioned thought that EV range isn’t enough and that they are too expensive. More than four out of five responses said there aren’t enough public charge points.
With many of these issues recognised as minor or non-existent by many in the ultra low emission vehicle (ULEV) market, clearly more needs to be done to improve education of the UK’s car buying public.
Edmund King, AA President, said: “In order to meet the Government’s Road to Zero targets a concerted effort is required to demonstrate the benefits of EVs and dispel some of the myths.
“The range, charging speed and charging point infrastructure are all on the increase. There needs to be a more concerted effort by us all to sell the benefits of electric vehicles to consumers.”
The full press release can be read on the LowCVP website. To discover how an electric vehicle might benefit you, take a look at Zap-Map’s tools, with features including journey and charging cost calculators.
