Electric cars could see a sizable sales boost in the near future after a survey revealed that more than half of new car buyers could opt for an EV in the next two years.
From the 1,032 people surveyed as part of Chargemaster’s nationwide research, 58% of those who intended on buying a new car before 2014 would consider an electric option.
This growing interest mirrors the bulge in electric options set to emerge in the next 18 months with fully electric models expected from BMW, Ford, Vauxhall, Renault and Volvo.
London’s dream of becoming the European capital of electric cars may have taken a bit of a knock recently but it seems that all the ingredients are still there with Londoners displaying the most positive response to the idea of owning an electric vehicle.
The state of Britain’s charging infrastructure was the main obstacle for most car buyers, with nearly 8 in 10 respondents saying that there would have to be least 40 public charging points in place around their local town before an electric car would be viable option.
David Martell, Chief Executive of Chargemaster, said his company’s POLAR network would go some way to resolve that issue over the next 12 months.
He commented: “With a number of major car manufacturers close to launching and promoting their EV ranges to the mass market, it is has become increasingly clear that consumers are now seriously considering purchasing an EV.
“The survey does also highlight that car buyers remain concerned about the lack of charging infrastructure in the UK when considering purchasing an electric vehicle.
“Chargemaster is currently working towards solving this issue via the installation of our POLAR network, the UK’s first nationwide network of charging infrastructure. The availability of more charging options will play a critical part in encouraging these consumers to make a positive decision to go electric.”
