A social media survey of 4,489 electric car drivers has revealed that in spite of rising energy costs, if they had the choice all over again, 83% would still choose to drive an EV.
Just 8.5% said that they would not choose to go electric again, whilst 8% were undecided, said ElectriX, which shared the survey on its LinkedIn page.
“It's not about costs (albeit a nice bonus) it's about better tech, and responsible driving,” one respondent commented. Charging an EV is often a topic of conversation when it comes to adoption, but even for people without access to off-street charging, it can be far cheaper to drive an electric car. “Absolutely would stick with EV. We can't home charge easily but a nearby supermarket still has a free charger,” the respondent added.
While cost is a driving factor for many, other considerations come into play as well. For some the instant torque is addictive. Clean air and zero tailpipe emissions were a recurrent theme in the comments below the survey, and some said they would still choose an EV even if electricity became more expensive. Driving an EV is still about one third the cost of driving a diesel car, one respondent noted.
There are now over half a million electric cars on the roads in the UK. With the Government committed to restrict the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, the upward trend in EV sales is only set to continue. However, electric cars are still only 1.3% of the total UK fleet.
While sales of EV continue to outstrip diesel, uptake across all vehicle types has slowed in recent months due to global events exacerbating supply chain issues, and the cost of living crisis. And of course, the energy crisis has emerged as a perceived threat to the attractiveness of electric cars, with the cost of public charging (understandably) hiking upwards.
However, various studies show people’s inclination towards EV adoption. For example, a new study into EV adoption in the UK, published via World EV Day by a consortium of the UK’s leading automotive experts, has revealed that despite the current adoption being higher among older drivers, young drivers aged 25-34 are the most likely to consider an EV as their next vehicle.
The study of over 1,900 UK drivers, conducted by IPSOS on behalf of LeasePlan UK, LV= General Insurance and ElectriX, Shell Recharge, Ohme, Cenex, Auto Trader, Connected Kerb, Fastned and EV Association England, found that, among those who intend to buy, lease, subscribe to, or replace a car or van in the future, over three quarters (77%) of those aged 25-34 years old said they would definitely or probably consider going electric for their next vehicle, compared to 49% for those aged 55 to 75.