Majority of UK motorists expect to buy an EV within five years, survey says

More than half of motorists in the UK believe their primary car will be electric within the next five years, a new survey has revealed.

Total EV – a new website dedicated to electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids – interviewed 1,000 car owners as a part of the study, and found that 51 per cent expected to buy an EV in the five-year time frame.

It was 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 prices were cited as a primary reason for wanting to make the switch for 45 per cent of motorists, while 36 per cent named environmental concerns.

However, the survey also revealed a number of issues that were discouraging respondents from making the change. Cost was a concern for 27 per cent of respondents, while a lack of charging infrastructure was cited by 22 per cent and a lack of knowledge flagged by 21 per cent.

Daniel Green, founder of Total EV, 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.

“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.

“There are already 110,000 plug-in cars across the country, but as technology and infrastructure improves over the next few years and more manufacturers enter the marketplace offering more choice to consumers, we expect to see a transformation in the number of EVs on Britain’s roads.

“This is the biggest thing to happen to motoring since Henry Ford.”

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 interest 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 market share in the future.”