In a recent poll of 1,000 car owners by specialist electric and hybrid car website Total EV, 51 per cent of motorists said they expected to buy an electric car within five years.
It also revealed that these changing attitudes are being largely driven by men – with 60 per cent of males asked saying they expected to drive an EV within five years, as opposed to 42 per cent of women who were polled.
Rising fuel costs were cited by 45 per cent of motorists as a reason for their willingness to change to an EV., while 35 per cent claimed environmental concern.
However, motorists polled also had plenty to say about the potential barriers to EV ownership – 27 per cent mentioned the cost of buying an electric vehicle, 22 per cent were worried about the lack of charging points and infrastructure, and 20 per cent saw a potential problem with a lack of electric range.
Founder of Total EV Daniel Green said: “The world is moving away from petrol and diesel to electric. The public wants it, the Government wants it, and the environment needs it. But where are the manufacturers and how and when should drivers get involved?
“This survey confirms what we already suspected – that Britain has woken up to the benefits of electric driving. The industry needs to wake up fast.”
Currently, there are around 110,000 plug-in cars registered around the country – so far in 2017, they make up 1.6 per cent of new car sales. However, Total EVs survey suggests this could dramatically increase over the next few years.
James Baggott, editor of Total EV, added: “There are huge benefits to owning an EV and with every new model that appears on our roads the interests grows.
“With so many manufacturers launching electric models things are becoming more competitive and prices are falling.”
Tamzen Isacsson, SMMT director of communications and international, said: “While demand for alternatively fuelled vehicles has grown rapidly in recent years, they still only represent around five per cent of the new car market.
“Long-term government support and continuing incentives – as well as investment in charging infrastructure – will be essential if ultra-low and zero-emission vehicles are to command a larger marker share in the future.”
ADI NETWORK 