A survey shows while 50% of people would consider going electric when purchasing their next car, many remain concerned about the proficiency of the charging network.
The 2020 Road Safety Survey was carried by the Road Safety News editorial team, with 920 respondents answering questions on emerging themes – including electric cars.
More than half of respondents (51%) said they would consider going electric when purchasing their next car – with a further 17% unsure on the subject.
Some of that uncertainty could be explained by a lack of belief in the adequacy of the charging network – and its capability to grow in the coming years.
When asked if there will be sufficient charging points to support the uptake of electric vehicles in the next five years – just 12% said yes.
The majority (72%) said no – while 16% were not sure.
In September 2019, the Government announced a £400 million fund to help develop rapid charging infrastructure points for electric vehicles.
The first £70 million investment will aim to create 3,000 new rapid charge points by 2024, more than doubling the number across the UK to 5,000.
The investment is designed to complement a £1.5 billion package to boost the uptake of electric vehicles – part of the Government’s drive to end the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles.
Government figures show that in 2019, there were 90,000 pure battery-electric cars on Britain’s roads – in addition to 145,000 plug-in hybrid cars.
Comment on this story