What's restricting half of the British drivers from considering an electric car

Almost half of the British drivers wouldn't consider shifting from internal combustion engine-powered vehicle to an electric car, reveals a study by the insurance firm NFU Mutual. The research reveals that charging and range anxieties are among the top reasons for sticking with fossil fuels such as petrol and diesel. The study was conducted on more than 1000 British drivers, where it has been revealed that 45 per cent of the respondents are not interested in considering swapping their petrol or diesel vehicles for EVs in the next decade.

The study also reveals that among these respondents, 58 per cent said that they felt battery range was their main concern for ruling out EVs. 58 per cent among them also pointed to the scarcity of EV charging points as the reason for not considering electric vehicles. Around 44 per cent also said that the time taken by EVs to get recharged would put them off.

However, the study reveals that 29 per cent of the respondents said that they would consider switching to an electric vehicle in the next five years, while a further 16 per cent said they would consider making the move in the next 10 years. Seven per cent of respondents said that they would consider switching to a hybrid vehicle, but not a fully electric vehicle.

Speaking about the findings, Andrew Chalk, car insurance specialist at NFU Mutual, said that there are reasons to be cheerful in this research, with 52 per cent of British drivers prepared to consider switching to an electric or hybrid vehicle within 10 years. “And although a significant proportion of the population would not currently consider switching to an electric vehicle, we believe that this number will surely fall if public charging infrastructure continues to grow at the current rate – particularly in less densely populated areas," Chalk further added.

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