The number of people considering an electric car has dwindled over the past two years because of the “perceived barriers” of cost and charging infrastructure.
Polling of more than 2,000 adults by Which? magazine found that only 46 per cent would consider buying one in the future, down from 64 per cent in 2021.
The proportion who intend their next vehicle to be electric has fallen to 8 per cent from 11 per cent two years ago.
The survey was carried out before Rishi Sunak postponed the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel car sales, which was designed to cut emissions and give the UK an economic advantage over the EU and its 2035 deadline. The prime minister said last week that the delay to 2035 was because costs were too high and time was needed to make charging infrastructure “truly nationwide”.
The poll in June by Yonder Consulting for Which? suggests that those concerns are widely shared. On barriers to buying an electric car, 63 per cent cited the expense, while 51 per cent pointed to the availability of public charging points.
Richer households were more likely to intend their next car to be electric. For household incomes of £55,000 and above, the figure was 17 per cent, falling to 7 per cent for households earning £28,000 and below.
Younger people favoured them, with 15 per cent of 18-34 year olds intending that their next car would be electric, a figure that fell to as low as 2 per cent for over-65s. However, the survey found that 82 per cent acknowledged their role in reducing their environmental footprint, a figure that has climbed from 77 per cent two years ago .
“It’s clear consumers want to play their part in helping tackle climate change, but our research has found that lack of awareness, reliable information and the cost of some green technologies is holding them back from leading more sustainable lives,” Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, said.
Ian Plummer, commercial director of the car marketplace Auto Trader, said: “The government’s decision to push the deadline back to 2035 is deeply unhelpful because of the doubt and negativity it spreads. But regardless of the date of the ban, the broader industry is committed to delivering an electric future.”
