Half of UK drivers between the ages of 25 to 34 would like to own an electric vehicle

A U.K. auto group survey shows that half the young drivers aged 25 to 34 in the U.K. said they would like to own an electric car (EV) — although they are put off by what they consider some of the barriers to owning an EV.

Age of drivers related to the desire for EVs

40 percent of younger drivers aged 16 to 24 said they would like to own an EV. 40 percent of those 35-44 also wanted an EV. However, of older drivers 45-54 only one third desired an electric car. Of drivers above 65 only one quarter wanted an EV.

35 percent of all the respondents claimed that they expected to own an EV within 10 years.

Edmund King the AA president said: “The younger generation in particular are ready to embrace the electric revolution.”

Lack of charging points could be a problem

The vast majority of those surveyed thought that there was a lack of public charging points. This could be a problem.

A report by RAC, a U.K. auto services company, said that the mass market spread of EVs could be restricted without widespread, reliable, and easy to use charging points.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling put out a range of proposals this week addressing the issue. This included requiring new homes and offices to install charging points as standard.

The Road to Zero strategy

The U.K. government is planning to ban the sale of both gas and diesel vehicles by 2040 as part of its Road to Zero strategy designed to cut down on high air pollution. Currently vehicles using alternative fuels including both hybrids and purely electric vehicles make up just 5.5 percent on the new car market.

The government has a target for 50 percent of all new vehicle sales to be in ultra-low emissions category for 2030.

King of the AA said: “In order to meet the government’s Road to Zero targets a concerted effort is required to demonstrate the benefits of electric vehicles and dispel some of the myths.The range, charging speed and charging point infrastructure are all on the increase. There needs to be a more concerted effort by us all to sell the benefits of electric vehicles.The electric vehicle revolution hasn’t perhaps taken off as quickly as we would have liked but now we have a firm commitment to the charging infrastructure.”

King also said: “The range, charging speed and charging point infrastructure are all on the increase. There needs to be a more concerted effort by us all to sell the benefits of electric vehicles. Drivers will also need to change their fuelling habits with the majority charging their EVs at night (at home) and then at their destinations. Ultimately outstanding, affordable, stylish EVs with a decent range will sell themselves. Massive savings can already be made on running and service costs, as well as the tax benefits.”

The AA

The poll was of 10,293 drivers. The AA is a U.K. motoring association that was founded way back in 1905. An original aim was to warn motorists of speed traps! However, it currently provides car insurance, driving lessons, loans, motoring advices, road maps as well as other services.. In 1999 it became a private company. In 2002 the AA Motoring Trust was created and it continues the public interest and road safety activities of AA.

The video appended was posted in August of 2015 so the situation would be much better now and the range of the Nissan Leaf used is short compared to many newer EVs.

Previously published in Digital Journal