Electric cars have failed to generate many sales among British motorists because consumers are confused about the realities of their cost and performance, according to new research.
British motorists don’t understand the realities of EV ownership with those most keen to buy one, the least knowledgeable about the practicalities of ownership, a study from GfK Automotive concludes.
GfK interviewed more than 3,000 British motorists about electric cars, finding that just eight per cent of motorists planned to buy one, with the vast majority of this group underestimating the cost and time it takes to charge the vehicles and overestimate their range.
This clash between perception and reality helps to explain why the public’s interest in the vehicles has not translated into sales, the automotive research firm concludes. The most recent SMMT data shows that just 1,021 electric cars have been sold to date in 2011. GfK’s new study suggests that the number of drivers who would consider buying an electric car and have a realistic idea of the costs and performance of the vehicles is just 1 per cent of UK drivers.
The new findings reveal that drivers intending to buy electric cars significantly underestimate the cost of purchase. While electric models tend to retail for around £10,000 more than petrol engine equivalents, 44 per cent of those intending to buy electric think they cost the same or less than traditional cars, with only 41 per cent believing they cost more.
Francisco Lopez, Managing Director of GfK Automotive says: “For all investment the Government and manufacturers have made in promoting electric cars, it is clear the public remain largely confused and to a certain extent uninformed about the specifics. If they are serious about transforming Britons into an electric motoring nation, one of the first things to do is to ensure consumers are clear of their genuine benefits. Only when consumers have a good understanding of the practicalities of owning an electric car can they realistically be expected to start purchasing them.”
The study shows that as well as confusion over cost, there is also a lack of knowledge about the charging time and range of vehicles. Sixty per cent of those most interested in purchasing electric cars think they should only have to charge the vehicle for a maximum of two hours whereas the actual average figure is closer to six hours – a time only three per cent are willing to accept. Similarly, the keenest potential purchasers also over-estimate the distance electric cars can travel between recharging, with over half (52 per cent) expecting the minimum driving range to be over 200 miles. In reality, the range is only about half of that.
