February 7, 2011
With a month passed since the launch of the Plug-in Car Grants, there is some great news for advocates of alternative fuel vehicles. New research from leading green car guide, TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk has found that 40 per cent* of people think that the grants worth up to £5,000 will be enough to persuade them to buy an electric car or other eligible car.
The first cars available in the UK which qualify for the grants are electric vehicles with plug-in hybrids available from next year. As the first eligible cars start to go on sale, it is the appeal of these vehicles which will determine the initial rate of interest in the Plug-in Car Grants. However, as all the first qualifying vehicles are electric, it could be those age-old concerns about the performance of such vehicles coupled with still quite high purchase prices that is deterring the other 60 per cent of motorists. But the award-winning website thinks there is a simpler reason that public interest electric cars will take time to pick up.
Explains the website’s editor, Faye Sunderland: “For many people, electric cars are a bit of a mystery, they are not sure they even really exist, at least in true market capacity anyway. And even when they are sure they are out there, they fear the unknown**. It is still a big ask for consumers to buy a vehicle that they are unsure of how it works and how to adapt to using it.”
“The trick for car makers is to persuade customers to come and try their electric models. However, the environmental credentials of EVs won’t be enough for motorists, it will be the potential savings in running costs which will convince many people to make that final leap of faith and buy an electric car,” she adds.
Despite that over half of those polled thought the grants weren’t enough; TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk believes that the interest in the new Plug-in Car Grants will pick up as the year progresses. The first three cars available with the grants are the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, smart fortwo electric drive and the Peugeot iON; all on sale from January 2011.
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Notes to Editors:
1. * TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk asked 524 website visitors; ‘Will the UKs Plug-in Car Grants worth up to £5,000 be enough to persuade you to buy an electric car or other eligible vehicle?’ The full results were:
Yes: 40 per cent
No: 60 per cent
2. ** A recent report from the Department for Transport released in January 2011 asked UK motorists; ‘What if anything would deter you from buying an electric car?’ The results included that a lack of knowledge of electric cars would deter 27 per cent compared to purchase costs which deterred 19 per cent. The full report can be located here: http://www.dft.gov.uk/adobepdf/162469/221412/221513/4387741/climatechange2011.pdf.
About TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk: The award-winning definitive guide to green cars, providing a wealth of information on everything from electric cars, efficient petrol and diesel cars to biofuels and hydrogen technology. The green car advisory website is also the best place for all the latest news and events relating to green cars. Since its launch on 16th June 2007, TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk has experienced a tremendous growth in traffic and now attains more than 150,000 page views a month.
TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk is owned and maintained by Really Good Domains Ltd, which run more motoring websites than any other company in the UK. As the UK’s largest internet advertising and marketing company for the motor industry, Really Good Domains also run the popular websites ContractHireAndLeasing.com, SaveMoneyOnCars.co.uk, TheVanWebsite.co.uk, RoadTestReports.co.uk, CarSupermarkets.co.uk and FleetDirectory.co.uk to name a few.
For further comment or interview, contact: Faye Sunderland on 0161 482 7650 or email fayes@reallygooddomains.com. Really Good Domains, Domain House, 4 Watchgate, Newby Road, Hazel Grove, Stockport, SK7 5DB.
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