Two in five drivers (39%) are considering an electric vehicle as their next purchase, an increase of 7.5m drivers in the past two years, according to the new Britain Under the Bonnet report from Close Brothers Motor Finance.
While sales figures remain in the low thousands each month, data from dealers, drivers, and online trends suggest a surge in interest in the last two years.
The research revealed that two in five drivers (39%) would consider buying an electric vehicle as their next purchase, almost three times the figure just two years previously (15%).
This equates to an increase of 7.5 million drivers who are now considering taking the leap from fossil fuel to electric. Similarly, online trends suggest that the number of searches for electric vehicles doubled in the last two years.
Dealers too say they have noticed the shift. One in five dealers saw an uplift in the number of customers who expressed an interest in electric vehicles.
In preparation, one in eight had sourced more alternative fuel vehicles for their showroom on the assumption that demand would increase. Consequently, one in seven dealers saw an increase in AFV sales last year.
The research also saw a distinct drop in concerns about cost, range, and charging time in comparison to last year. Almost half as many drivers were concerned about the initial outlay of an electric vehicle (24% in 2019, compared with 47% the year before), and half as many were worried about the time it takes to charge them (17% in 2019, down from 36%).
Similarly, the proportion of drivers concerned about driving range had fallen from 43% last year to 24% now.