Two in three electric car owners would turn down the offer of a petrol-powered courtesy car if it were offered to them while their electric vehicle was being repaired, according to a new study.
A survey of 500 electric vehicle drivers found that 67 percent would reject an internal combustion engine (ICE) replacement if their car was off the road.
Motor Assist, a vehicle accident claims management company, has called for an industry-wide EV-for-EV courtesy vehicle warranty after launching a policy of its own.
This means that those who have switched to battery-powered cars are always offered similar electric vehicles as temporary replacements.
Two in three EV owners said they would wait for an electric courtesy vehicle while theirs is off the road for repairs, and would reject a petrol or diesel alternative.
When the owner group was asked whether they would support an industry-standard approach to providing courtesy electric vehicles to drivers who already drive battery-powered vehicles, nine in ten (88 percent) backed the idea.
For electric car drivers aged 65 and over, support was even higher for an EV-by-EV approach: 94 per cent said they would like to see a guarantee introduced so they would not be forced to get behind the wheel of a petrol or diesel car.
Under current rules, drivers are entitled to an equivalent replacement vehicle while their own is being repaired after being involved in an accident that, importantly, was not their fault.
However, after-accident assistance companies and insurers are not obliged to provide a vehicle with the same powertrain, meaning that drivers of internal combustion engine vehicles could also end up using electric vehicles as a replacement.
Drivers are entitled to an equivalent replacement vehicle if they are involved in an accident that is not their fault. However, this does not require after-care companies or insurers to provide a vehicle with the same powertrain (pictured, a Tesla being repaired).
Motor Assist says the implementation of an EV-for-EV guarantee across the industry would provide a “commitment to sustainable mobility in the run-up to a ban on the sale of new internal combustion engine cars.”
Since early 2023, the company and its parent company AX have provided nearly 3,000 electric vehicles on loan to drivers involved in accidents.
Demand for electric courtesy vehicles is expected to grow in the years leading up to a ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars, which the DfT recently confirmed to This is Money will accelerate to 2030.
EV sales rose nearly 11 percent last month compared to August 2023, resulting in the highest overall market share (22.6 percent) in a single month since December 2022.
When the panel of respondents was asked why they think electric car drivers should always be given a courtesy electric vehicle, almost half (46 percent) said it would not be fair to have to get back into a diesel or petrol car.
A similar proportion (45 percent) also said they would not want to return to petrol or diesel cars for “environmental reasons”.
Motor Assist parent company AX has launched a new program in which drivers of internal combustion engine vehicles whose engines are damaged in accidents that were not their fault are offered a trial run of an electric vehicle as a courtesy vehicle.
Unfortunately, ICE drivers were not surveyed to ask whether they would accept a courtesy electric vehicle as a short-term replacement for their off-road gasoline or diesel cars.
Since very few owners of conventional gasoline, diesel and “self-charging” hybrid vehicles have home chargers installed on their properties, forcing an internal combustion engine driver to use an electric vehicle could easily be considered highly inconvenient.
Scott Hamilton-Cooper, AX’s chief operating officer, said: “Anything that can help make a positive impact on the UK’s transition to zero-emission vehicles is a welcome step.”
However, AX has launched an ‘EValuate’ service as part of its business to offer drivers choice.
Drivers are given the opportunity to experience an EV replacement vehicle while their own car is being repaired in an attempt to Encourage more people to change.
Scott Hamilton-Cooper, Commercial Director at AX, said: ‘We were the first to introduce an EV-for-EV guarantee and, following its successful roll-out three years ago, we have raised the bar again with EValuate, our EV-for-ICE test drive initiative.
‘The feedback we’ve received and the research we’ve conducted shows that customers, both drivers and fleet managers, want this engagement to be more widespread.
“Anything that can help positively influence the UK’s transition from fossil fuel-powered cars to zero-emission vehicles is a positive step. Our industry can make a significant contribution to supporting sustainable mobility.
‘As well as offering convenience and continuity, it reduces the average CO2 emissions of our business, whilst also helping the fleets, insurers and dealers we work with to minimise their environmental impact as well.’
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