7:14 am, April 23, 2021
The majority of UK motorists think electric vehicles are too expensive, while almost two-thirds are unaware of the government’s plug-in car grant.
In a survey of 15,000 motorists carried out by The AA and Electrifying.com, 63 per cent said they didn’t know about the plug-in car grant.
The deal takes £2,500 off zero-emission vehicles with a starting price below £35,000.
Worryingly, some 81 per cent of the motorists quizzed said they think EVs are too expensive.
Half of respondents were also unaware of the £350 grant towards having a home charger fitted, with 23 per cent not knowing EVs have a reduced vehicle excise duty.
Ginny Buckley, founder of Electrifying.com, said: ‘The silent revolution has started but it’s obvious we need to help people along the way.
‘Reliable information, independent reviews and access to understandable information are essential as we travel towards the 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars.’
Despite this lack of knowledge, there was some positivity towards EVs, with 62 per cent saying they liked the thought of waking up to a full battery, while 34 per cent said an EV would fit their lifestyle now.
Motorists still have a number of concerns relating to EV ownership, though, with price being chief among them.
Other worries include the fact an EV couldn’t go as far on a ‘tank’ as a petrol or diesel car (77 per cent), that charging takes too long (59 per cent), and that the motorway network of chargers is unreliable (56 per cent).
The study also found that key to increasing confidence in EVs would be having a charger fitted at home (75 per cent), being able to use any public charger regardless of which company owns it (73 per cent), and knowing the motorway network has reliable chargers (72 per cent).
Transport minister Rachel Maclean said: ‘As host of [UN Climate Change Conference] COP26, we want more people to feel empowered to make the switch to an electric vehicle.
‘The release of today’s survey highlights the bumps in the road towards more people choosing an EV, and we know many want support from the government and wider industry to do so.
‘That is why we’re investing up to £2.8bn to drive the switch, creating a world-leading electric vehicle charging network that’s reliable for all and accelerating us towards a zero-emission future.’
Edmund King, AA president, added: ‘After more than a century of the combustion engine leading the charge it is not surprising that some drivers are only just catching up with all things electric.’
