New survey reveals EV switchers don’t look back

UK owners of EVs, such as the Nissan Leaf (above) won’t change back to traditional cars. Photo: Supplied

A poll of British electric vehicle drivers has revealed more than 90 per cent of drivers will not be replacing their current EV with a petrol and diesel vehicle.

Conducted by Zap-Map, the UK’s leading mapping service that shows EV drivers where charging stations are, the results showed strong evidence of the fundamental shift in consumer attitudes to zero-emission cars.

The poll was carried out in November 2020 with over 2000 respondents, 91 per cent said “no thanks” to replacing their EVs with a petrol or diesel vehicle; and in stark contrast, less than 1 per cent were hankering for a return to fossil fuels while 9 per cent said they were not sure.

 The majority of respondents were first-time EV drivers, with 73 per cent stating their current vehicle was their first EV, and 52 per cent making the purchase within the last year.

Driver satisfaction was notably higher for both battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, with EV drivers reporting a satisfaction score of 91 out of 100 (BEV 92, PHEV 84), compared with only 72 for petrol or diesel vehicle ownership.

EV models that received the highest satisfaction scores included: the Volkswagen ID.3, Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid, and BMW 3 Series sedan (all 100); Tesla Model 3 (96); Kia e-Niro (96); and the Hyundai Kona electric (94). Nearly all the models, including popular ones such as the Renault Zoe (92) and Nissan Leaf (90), also achieved high levels of driver commitment.

The Volkswagen ID.3 received 100 per cent satisfaction from its owners. Photo: Volkswagen

The survey results come at a time of record-breaking sales for the electric vehicle industry. Latest industry figures show that for the year-to-date 9.7 per cent of all new car sales had a plug, compared to 3.2 per cent in 2019, and 1.1 per cent in 2015.

A spokesperson for UK road service provider, RAC, reckoned that while “the challenge is often convincing owners of petrol and diesel vehicles to switch to an electric vehicle in the first place, this data shows that once people have done so they seldom look back - which is also positive news for manufacturers that are investing heavily in electric vehicles and cleaner technology”.

“While would-be electric car drivers might worry about range anxiety, they should also be aware that the number public charge points is increasing rapidly and infrastructure continues to improve. They should also remember that the vast majority of their journeys are unlikely to be over several hundred miles meaning that for day-to-day travel, operating an electric vehicle is a clean and cost-effective option,” said spokesperson Rod Dennis.

“These figures show the momentum that is behind getting drivers into electric vehicles, something that is likely to build as we move closer to the end of the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.”