• 83% of drivers do not think the UK’s electric vehicle infrastructure is ready
• However, 39% are still looking to purchase an electric vehicle within the next three years
• 42% would require the purchase price to be below £20,000
As part of a survey to understand consumer perceptions of electric vehicles (EVs), Stoneacre Motor Group recently found that 83% of UK drivers do not believe the UK’s charging infrastructure is ready for the increased use of EVs on a national level.
With the UK Net Zero initiative progressing throughout the UK, the automotive landscape has begun its change to compensate for the future demise of the combustion engine at the end of the decade.
Upon the incoming legislation, as well as public anxiety around fuel prices, interest in electric vehicles has been rising.
Now with nearly half a million EVs on UK roads, Stoneacre Motor Group has looked to discover motorists’ opinions on electric vehicles, most notably regarding their usage.
Over a third (39%) of those surveyed said they were 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.
Sales of electric cars globally have been on the rise since 2020, with a 186% increase that year alone. Meanwhile, 2021 saw more EVs sold than in the previous five years combined, with over 190,000 registrations. There are an estimated 477,000 electric cars on UK roads today - a number which looks to be rising in 2022.
Mark Zavagno, Digital Operations Director for Stoneacre Motor Group, insists that the automotive retail sector needs to be able to cater for what looks to be an upward trend of customers looking to purchase an electric vehicle.
“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,” Zavagno commented.
Despite their intentions, the majority (83%) of participants believe the UK charging infrastructure is currently not ready to capacitate the predicted influx of EVs the UK will face in the coming years.
Zavagno added: “We are seeing a rapid improvement to charge point 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 moving forward.”
Meanwhile, 42% of those surveyed would only want to spend between £10,000 to £20,000 on an EV. The average price of an EV currently stands at just under £44,000.
Range anxiety has long been a discussion point around EVs, and when asked about how many miles they would need available to them on a full charge, 46% of participants believed they would need between 250-499 miles, whereas 33% were identified to require 100-249 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% 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.
*Research conducted on 806 people surveyed in July 2022 by Stoneacre Motor Group
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