Nearly a third of drivers considering EV switch
- April 23, 2021
- Posted by: Louise Cooke
- Category: Industry News
Interest in electric cars has never been higher with nearly a third of car buyers saying they would consider going electric when they next buy a car.
This is according to a survey of more than 2,000 car owners by car leasing comparison website LeaseLoco, which found 31% expected to switch to EVs in the next two or three years.
If that percentage is extrapolated to the 35 million car drivers in the UK, that could mean nearly 11 million are ready to go electric.
However, many car owners still have major concerns that might prevent them switching to electric in the next few years even though the desire to do so is there. Survey respondents said they would only consider switching if there were more attractive incentives to buy electric, a greater range of cars and more affordable models, and the nationwide charging infrastructure was improved.
Interestingly, there was little difference in attitudes between older and younger car owners towards electric car ownership – 30% of car owners aged 18-34 would consider buying electric for their next car, compared to 33% of 45-54–year-olds.
John Wilmot, CEO, said: “Our survey shows that demand for electric cars is soaring and that the UK public are ready to make the leap to electric en masse. If the chief concerns around price and charging infrastructure were alleviated, take-up could be much more rapid than many expect.
“The government needs to take advantage of the growing popularity of zero emissions motoring, but the worry is that without more focus, investment and education, this latent demand will not translate into sales and momentum will be lost. With the sale of new diesel and petrol cars banned from 2030, the next two to three years will be critical in ensuring that the switch to greener motoring stays on track.”
