8:26 am, August 18, 2022
Dealer group Stoneacre has found that 83 per cent of UK drivers do not believe the UK’s charging infrastructure is ready for the increased use of EVs on a national level.
A survey by the firm revealed that just 39 per cent of British motorists are currently willing to purchase an EV in the next three years.
At the same time, over two-thirds of respondents said they would look to buy an EV in the next five years.
The majority (83 per cent) of the 806 participants believed the UK charging infrastructure is currently not ready to cope with an increased number of EVs.
Meanwhile, 42 per cent of those surveyed would only want to spend between £10,000 and £20,000 on an EV, despite the average price of an electric car currently standing at just under £44,000.
Elsewhere, the poll also found that range anxiety remains a major stumbling block when it comes to convincing motorists to go green.
Just under half (46 per cent) of participants believed they would need between 250 and 499 miles, whereas 33 per cent were identified to require 100 to 249 miles.
The basic average range for an EV is 235 miles, therefore slightly lower than the needed miles from most participants.
In terms of charging itself, over 66 per cent said they wouldn’t want to wait any more than three hours to fully charge their vehicle at a public charge point. A typical electric car currently takes eight hours to charge from empty at a ‘fast’ 7kW charge point.
Mark Zavagno, digital operations director for Stoneacre Motor Group, said: ‘It is obvious enough that we, as an automotive retailer, need to be prepared for this influx of activity in consumer behaviour, ensuring we have the correct means to inform and accommodate when it comes to electric vehicle sales.
‘We are seeing a rapid improvement to chargepoint availability throughout the UK, and also through our own dealer network.
‘But it is a vital component of the government initiative that the charging infrastructure matches the demand of EV drivers.’
