Britain’s Attitudes to Electric Vehicles
When it comes to Britain’s attitudes to electric vehicles, the research found an increasing recognition that EVs are the future, but it also found there are still legitimate barriers to adoption. Charging concerns and range anxiety are still significant problems in onsumers’ mind, with nearly half (47%) saying they’d have concerns about where they would charge their vehicle, and 40% saying EVs would put them off long journeys. Asked about the 2030 ban on petrol and diesel cars, a quarter (25%) said they thought it should be brought forward. Conversely, nearly a third think it should be pushed back or scrapped altogether.
For the report, Ford also surveyed seven other European markets (Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Norway and the Netherlands). Cross-comparison suggests that the UK public are among the most climate-conscious in Europe: more Brits (34%) think agreeing a climate change plan is a priority than in Norway (29%), Netherlands (28%), Spain (23%), Germany (31%), France (25%), Italy (31%), and Poland (26%).
“This survey shows how much Britons care about climate change and that they’re ready to take a number of individual actions to help fight it. When it comes to personal transportation, it is clear they see EVs as the future, yet what the survey also shows is that people continue to have concerns around charging infrastructure and perceived range anxiety” said Stuart Rowley, President Ford of Europe.
“I believe it is incumbent upon all stakeholders – government, both national and local, energy providers and auto companies – to make an emphatic case about the opportunities of electrification to consumers and to create the infrastructure necessary to support the vision, as it is only with a unified approach that we can deliver on this promise.”
The full Go Electric: Climate Countdown report can be viewed here.
Ford’s first Go Electric report, The Road to 2030 and the UK’s all-electric future can also be viewed here.