A quarter (26%) of car hirers would like to hire an electric car to test one out, and a fifth (20%) would like to ‘do their bit’ for the environment (17% men and 23% women).
However the survey carried out by Opinium, on behalf of iCarhireinsurance.com, a leading provider of stand-alone car hire excess insurance, did find some barriers to hiring an electric car even when drivers said they wanted to. Chief of these are concerns about charging the vehicle (32%) and reservations about the driving range (31%).
A quarter (25%) of car hirers admit that whilst they would like to hire an electric car they will not pay more for one, if they could get a petrol or diesel one cheaper, and only 8% are willing to pay more.
One in five (21%) say they will never hire an electric car, rising to 30% of over 55s, compared to 9% of under 34s.
Ernesto Suarez, founder and CEO of iCarhireinsurance.com, said: “Many rental companies are starting to invest in electric fleets but until drivers can be reassured that the charging infrastructure is in place, there will naturally be some reticence from holiday makers and corporate travellers, particularly if they are visiting a new destination.
“If you are just using the hire car to pootle around short distances, then renting one could be a great opportunity to try one out.”
