New research suggests that an overwhelming majority of electric car drivers intend on committing to battery power; shunning petrol and diesel in the future…
EV Drivers Sticking With Electric
New research has suggested that an overwhelming majority of EV drivers are satisfied with the low-emission powertrain; and plan on sticking with it in the future. Conducted by Zap Map, which documents the availability of charging points across the UK, 2,000 drivers of electric vehicles were surveyed. It discovered that 9 in 10 (91%) wouldn’t be prepared to transition back to diesel, petrol or hybrid vehicles. Whilst that leaves 9% who would consider switching back, less than a paltry 1% of respondents admitted to missing former ICE vehicles. Overall, electric cars were found to be the best in terms of overall driver satisfaction; scoring 92 points out of 100. For perspective, hybrid cars bagged 84 points for satisfaction and ICE vehicles secured a score of 72.
Perhaps most striking of all is the fact that 73% of the survey’s respondents were first-time electric car owners. Moreover, half of them purchased their EVs in 2o2o. Melanie Shufflebotham, Co-Founder of Zap-Map, said “it’s clear that many of the historical challenges of owning and running an EV have fallen away”. She added, “the dramatic growth in EV sales in 2020 is one of the good news stories to come out of this difficult year for the car industry”.
Increasingly Accessible
Whilst EVs may still be somewhat polarising for drivers, there’s no denying that they’re becoming increasingly mainstream and accessible. Sales soared for both EVs and plug-in hybrids over the course of 2020; all whilst traditional car sales collapsed due to COVID-related challenges. In addition, through significant government investment the number of fast, public charge points in the UK is rapidly increasing. Then there’s the issue of range-anxiety. Fears of running out of juice before reaching one’s destination are disappearing as an increasing number of EVs offer between 300 and 400 miles of range.
It’s arguable that the remaining barriers to EV-ownership consist of entry pricing and the charging challenges faced by people without off-road parking (some 40% of households). Whilst the price of electric cars is coming down, most easily fall in the £35,000+ segments. In addition, not having somewhere to charge one’s car overnight can also lead to some real conundrums. The latter issue will no doubt correct itself over time. As for charging, that’s a barrier that’ll no doubt be harder to overcome.
Tesla Is Now Offering A Model S With A 400-Mile Range – https://autoserve.co.uk/motoring-news/tesla-is-now-offering-a-model-s-with-a-400-mile-range/
Battery Electric Cars: The Top Five Most Affordable In The UK – https://autoserveclub.co.uk/blog/battery-electric-cars-the-top-five-most-affordable-in-the-uk/