- 37% of private car buyers do not purchase an electric vehicle due to public charging concerns
Charging anxiety is now the biggest barrier to electric vehicle adoption, new research shows.
Concerns about inadequate public charging infrastructure have overtaken range anxiety as the biggest barrier to electric car adoption among private car buyers, ahead of cost and quality.
Almost two-fifths of private car buyers cited concerns about charging infrastructure as the main reason why they are not considering choosing a purely electric car, according to an exclusive What Car? survey. revealed.
A recent survey by ZapMap, the leading electric vehicle charging app, found that the public charging network is more important than ever.
Half of electric vehicle owners use public charging at least once a month, even when they have a home charger installed at their residence.
While the average satisfaction rating for the UK’s public charging network in ZapMap’s research was just 64 out of 100, Three in five respondents said public charge had improved in the last year.
Concern that public charging infrastructure is inadequate has overtaken range anxiety as the biggest barrier to electric car adoption among private car buyers.
The second biggest concern for the 2,000 drivers who responded was the high cost of new electric vehicles, with 34 percent saying it was the biggest obstacle, according to What Car? survey.
Meanwhile, product range fell to third place in the ranking of barriers, as it was only the main concern for 25 percent of buyers.
Overall, buyers are open to purchasing an electric vehicle, and only one in seven of those in the market to replace their car next year say they will never buy an electric one.
However, to get many buyers over the finish line, the Government will have to intervene: 61 per cent of people would consider an electric vehicle if the Government implemented one of four financial incentives.
Buyers are open to purchasing an electric vehicle and only one in seven in the market who will replace their car next year say they will never buy an electric vehicle. What car? research found
Claire Evans, What car? The consumer editor said: “It is now vital that the government takes action to encourage people to switch to electric vehicles.”
The most popular of those actions (chosen by 18 percent of respondents) would be to make public charging of electric vehicles cheaper by reducing VAT from 20 percent to 5 percent.
This would align costs with VAT on home electricity, removing the “access divide” between those with home chargers and those who do not have parking in their properties and are therefore reliant on the public grid.
The second most persuasive incentive would be the reintroduction of a government subsidy for electric vehicle buyers.
About 16 percent of the panel said this would incentivize them to go electric.
A further 15 per cent said they could be tempted if electric vehicles remained exempt from the £410 annual excise duty on “expensive cars”.
Electric car owners will be forced to pay road tax from April 2025, albeit at a much lower rate for new purchases.
However, a study revealed that seven in ten models will be subject to premium tax on all cars priced over £40,000, which applies on top of the standard VED rate from years two to six.
An overall reduction in electricity prices, made possible by a tax cut, would encourage 12 percent of people to consider an electric vehicle as their next drive, according to the study.
61% would consider an electric vehicle if the Government implemented one of four financial incentives: from cutting VAT on public charging to reintroducing a subsidy for electric vehicles.
The investigation of What Car? also showed that four no-cost measures would encourage half of motorists to make the switch.
Around 27 per cent of people would consider an electric vehicle if new public charging legislation were made stricter to make grids more responsible.
Indicating which hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars will be exempt from the reintroduced 2030 ban on non-electric cars would encourage 14 percent of buyers to opt for electric vehicles, and 8 percent would be swayed by a limit on the bank card of pre-authorization. fees charged by public charging networks.
Evans added: “Measures to be taken include reducing VAT on public charging of electric vehicles, accelerating the expansion of the public charging network by removing planning bureaucracy, tightening legislation on electric vehicle networks to ensure they are reliable and introduce financial incentives for electric vehicle buyers, such as lower VAT on new cars and low VED rates on all electric vehicles.
