8:13 am, June 12, 2023
Buying an electric vehicle has become ‘normalised’ and range anxiety less of a worry, new research has found.
eBay Motors Group quizzed over 2,000 in-market buyers and found many prospective customers are expecting to use EVs for longer journeys.
It found a third of buyers expecting to purchase an EV as their next car will use them mainly for journeys between 100-200 miles, with a further 14 per cent planning journeys over 200 miles.
The gains made by EVs are mostly at the expense of diesel – two thirds said expect their main journeys to be just 20-100 miles if they purchased a diesel car, dropping to 26 per cent for journeys of 100-200 miles and just 10 her cent for journeys over 200 miles.
Petrol is the fuel of choice where main journeys are under 20 miles, followed by PHEV, EV and diesel.
Lucy Tugby, marketing director of eBay Motors Group, said: ‘What we’re now witnessing is the normalisation of EV purchasing among buyers, with range anxiety less of an issue as models with greater ranges become increasingly available on the new and used markets.
‘Our research shows how EVs have become a practical choice for buyers who previously would have favoured diesel and petrol.’
The study also found 84 per cent will use EVs as their main car and 16 per cent as an additional car. This was also in contrast to diesel where 79 per cent would be for main cars and 21 per cent for additional cars.
Overall, the research identified a strong intention from consumers to buy a new car, regardless of fuel type, with four in 10 owners expecting to start searching within the next 12 months.
Tugby added: ‘Despite the ongoing impact of the cost of living crisis, the appetite among buyers to search for their next car and make a purchase remains strong, and that’s welcome news for all dealers.’
