Less than half of motorists considering an EV as their next car

Less than half of drivers are considering an electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid as their next vehicle, according to Department for Transport (Dft) research.

Forty-eight per cent of drivers are considering an ultra-low-emission vehicle next, with less than half of those people saying they were ‘very likely’ to do so. However, 82 per cent said that they would look to buy a car with low CO2 emissions.

The Times reports that ministers are pleased that the figures show motorists are willing to take positive action to reduce roadside emissions.

Electric vehicle uptake continues to be slow with a market share of less than six per cent. However, official figures from the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders show sales of alternatively fuelled vehicles are up more than 14 per cent so far this year compared with 2018.

The DfT figures have been released as part of its National Travel Attitudes Survey, which asked 1,384 UK adults about their opinions on various aspects of the transportation system.

It found that 76 per cent of respondents believe people should reduce their car use for the sake of the environment — a drastic increase compared with the 56 per cent who felt the same in 2015.

Other statistics showed that 43 per cent of people would be willing to reduce the number of car journeys they made to reduce their impact on the environment, but just 17 per cent would be willing to take fewer plane journeys.

Meanwhile, public conversation about ultra-low-emission zones being introduced in cities such as London appears to be affecting opinion about congestion. Sixty-eight per cent of respondents believe inner-city traffic is a serious problem, up from a low of 39 in 2012.