Only two per cent of people are likely to buy an electric vehicle (EV) in the next five years according to a new survey. Despite Department of Transport claims that 2011 would be ‘the year of the electric car’ – offering hefty subsidies and advising councils to plan for an electric future – just 1,000 battery-powered vehicles were sold in the UK last year!
When specialist car insurance broker Adrian Flux Insurance Services asked 1,000 of its customers how likely they were to buy an EV in the next five years, just two per cent were seriously considering swapping the petrol pump for the charging point.
Nearly 70% ruled out a switch entirely, with the remaining 28% firmly in the ‘wait and see’ camp. While most of us agree that petrol and diesel-powered cars are unsustainable in the long term, it seems few of us are prepared to buy a car we feel has a high purchase price, limited range, long recharge times and questionable resale value.
The electric revolution is, however, said to be ‘still charging forward’ despite the lukewarm appetite of the British people. Last month, 60 charging points were opened in Oxford, making the city the EV capital of Europe with one charging point for every 2,400 people, the best ratio in the EU.
London has 654 charging points – the most in Europe – and British cities dominate the top ten list of electric-friendly locations in the continent.
Gerry Bucke, of Adrian Flux Insurance Services, suggested that people’s reluctance to switch to electric cars was often related to the perceived “hassle” of owning a vehicle which relied on charging.
He says: “People are worried that they can’t just ‘drive and go’ and that they will have to plan ahead depending on how far they plan to travel each day and the ‘range’ of their car.”
More information: www.adrianflux.co.uk