EV car buyers put off by public infrastructure
Less than a fifth of electric vehicle buyers would be comfortable owning an electric vehicle if they had to rely on the UK’s public charging network for recharging.
According to the latest research by What Car?, just 17.7% of the 1,207 in-market buyers looking for an EV said they would be confident relying only on public charging infrastructure.
This is a drop from August 2022, when What Car? asked the same question from 265 EV buyers, with 25.3% stating they would be comfortable owning an EV even if they could only use public chargers to cover recharging.
What Car? also asked the 1,051 in-market buyers not in the market for an electric car what their reasons were for not considering one, with nearly half (47.2%) citing EVs as being too expensive for their consideration and 41.6% saying the public charging network isn’t good enough for their needs.
A lack of home charging possibility was quoted by 23.5% while poor vehicle range was highlighted by 15.9%.
Steve Huntingford, editor, What Car?, said: “The lack of adequate charging infrastructure is still cited as one of the key reasons for buyers not making the switch. Though the rate of chargers is growing, with further investment only recently announced, more needs to be done to support the buyers looking to make the switch, especially with the 2030 and 2035 targets looming.
“This week’s Spring Budget will likely cover a lot of ground, but support for electric vehicle buyers and manufacturers, as well as the UK’s charging infrastructure, shouldn’t be left out.”
