As the UK government unveils its Road to Zero plan to reduce emissions and improve the countries Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure, a new survey from Venson Automotive Solutions reveals that motorists are some way behind in their willingness to adapt.
Only 15% of those surveyed said they will definitely be making the switch to an EV or hybrid vehicle when they next purchase a car or choose an alternative company vehicle, and nearly 50% said they don’t envisage considering it for another 10-15 years, if not longer.
The findings are a blow to the zero emissions vehicle plan. Just a year ago, 85% of motorists surveyed by Venson said they would seriously consider buying an EV, following news from Total and Shell that they would be installing more charging points. Yet in Venson’s ‘2018 EV Attitudes’ survey only 15% confirmed they actually intend to buy one in the very near future.
Of the 200 people surveyed, 38% said that they will consider an EV within their options when they next purchase a car, and 28% confirmed they have no intention of doing so for the next 10-15 years. Almost one in five (19%) said they refuse to switch until there is no other option available to them.
Whilst charging and mileage range remain the biggest deterrents for motorists when making a decision about EV, the good news is that one year on, there is less of a concern about these matters. The number of people concerned about limited mileage fell from 61% in 2017 to 45% in 2018. The only EV concern to grow year on year was ‘safety concerns regarding the battery’, but this remains one of the smallest deterrents for would-be owners.
The news from government that it plans to implement, as soon as possible, a requirement for a charge point infrastructure in new dwellings in England will be well received by motorists. 38% of those surveyed said that the practicalities of being able to charge their vehicle at home was an ownership hurdle.