Rising fuel costs not enough to convince drivers to go electric

Nearly eight in 10 motorists are not considering an electric car as their next vehicle, new research suggests.

Despite manufacturers investing heavily in electric and hybrid models, consumers remain unconvinced by zero-emission motoring, with 60 per cent of 2,000 people quizzed saying there are not enough places to charge their car nearby.

However, the research by Confused.com showed that a reluctance to go fully electric is not similarly reflected in partially electrified models, with 21 per cent of respondents saying they were most likely to purchase a hybrid next.

Petrol was the most likely to be considered as a next vehicle at 43 per cent, with diesel third (12 per cent) and electric last (seven per cent).

Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at the financial services comparison site, said: “Drivers could be missing a trick by not switching to new fuel types. Diesel and petrol prices are continuing to show an upward curve, impacted in the short term by events such as Storm Harvey and the rising cost in the price per barrel.”

The research goes against a similar study conducted by electric and hybrid vehicle website Total EV, which found that 51 per cent of motorists expected their primary vehicle to be electric within five years.

The survey of 1,000 car owners found that rising fuel prices and environmental concerns were key reasons for wanting to switch, though flagged similar concerns about charging infrastructure.

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.

“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.”