45 per cent of motorists ‘would not consider buying an EV’ in next decade

Research by insurance company NFU Mutual has revealed that 45 per cent of Brits would not consider buying an electric vehicle (EV) in the next 10 years, with battery range, lack of charging infrastructure and charging time being among the key worries.

The insurer carried out a survey of 1,107 people across the country to discover the public’s views on EVs. The research showed that, despite marked steps towards increased EV use, 45 per cent of Brits still would not consider switching to an EV or hybrid vehicle.

However, there are also reasons for positivity, with 29 per cent considering switching within five years and a further 16 per cent considering switching within 10 years, while 7 per cent would only consider switching to a hybrid.

According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, March 2022 saw more fully-electric vehicle registrations than ever before, while electric and hybrid vehicles made up over a third of registrations. To help customers with the transition to EVs and to deal with the expected increase in EV use over the coming years, NFU Mutual’s car insurance product includes features tailored to the needs of customers with electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

For the UK to meet its targets on EV use and bring about the necessary reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, the barriers to EV adoption must be understood and overcome.

Barriers to switching to an EV

Asked about the barriers to switching to an electric vehicle, 58 per cent cited battery range as a concern, another 58 per cent were worried about a lack of charging points, and 44 per cent saw the time taken to recharge as a reason not to switch to an EV. Department for Transport (DfT) data suggests that the UK still has some way to go to ease these worries: figures show 30,290 public EV charging devices with only 5,494 rapid chargers – just 18 per cent of total, equating to only eight rapid chargers for every 100,000 people in the UK.

Regional disparity

The NFU Mutual research also reveals a regional disparity in what people see as the barriers to EV adoption, which is backed up by the DfT figures on public charging infrastructure.

Only 47 per cent of Londoners, which has by far the most chargers per 100,000 of the population, believe that lack of charging points is a barrier to driving an EV. Meanwhile, 68 per cent of Welsh residents, 70 per cent of residents of the East of England, and 65 per cent of Northern Irish residents saw a lack of charging points as a barrier to driving an EV. These areas have the lowest number of charge points per 100,000 of their populations.

The research suggests that battery range is more of a concern for those in regions with fewer large cities. Whereas less than half of residents of London (48 per cent) and the West Midlands (48 per cent) are concerned that battery range is a barrier to driving an EV, the majority of residents of the less-densely populated areas of the East of England (72 per cent), Wales (70 per cent), the South West (69 per cent), and Northern Ireland (68 per cent) see battery range as a barrier.

In the same vein, the availability of charging points and battery range were of significantly greater concern to those living in rural areas.