News Published on : 13-Dec-2021 14:01:56

Cheaper running costs rather than benefits to the environment topped the list of reasons for motorists considering an electric vehicle over the past two years according to new research. Autovia s comprehensive Driver Power Shopper study drawn from the opinions and behaviour of up to 60 000 participants a year gets under the skin of why drivers chose the cars they bought over the past two years. Despite environmental benefits being typically touted by the government as the best reason to go electric Autovia s Driver Power Shopper research confirms that running costs is ranked as the top reason to buy an EV by most people. But economic considerations also top the reasons for holding back on buying an EV with too expensive to buy cited by most car buyers who bought a different type of car over the past two years. However range anxiety remains a tough challenge for the industry. Although purchase cost was a factor mentioned by more people who didn t choose an EV than any other issue distance/range limitations was listed as the biggest worry overall. And in a sign that diehard internal combustion engine fans may be especially hard to convert 25% of people admit that they still have an emotional attachment to petrol and diesel engines. The research also underlines the need to maximise publicity around the rapid growth in Britain s charging point network because 17% of people who chose not to go electric for their current car cited too few charge points as their main reason. Only this week Driver Power revealed Britain s best EV charging point networks as rated by thousands of drivers. Autovia s flagship title Auto Express concluded from the research that some of the biggest and more well-known charging networks will be disappointed to see that their operations need work . Auto Express also noted that the primary provider of universally-available charge points was ranked last by users among a total of nine networks.