A new study has found that nearly half of UK drivers have no plans to buy an electric car (Image: Getty)
As the Government continues to work on a revised version of the to be fairer on manufacturers, a new study has found that half of motorists would not buy an , even if they cost less. According to a study from the (SMMT), nearly half of new car buyers would not choose an , even if the Government offered subsidies to reduce the cost.
Tom Jervis, Consumer Reporter at , highlighted that a significant amount of drivers still have concerns surrounding the cost and practicalities of . He explained: “The latest findings from the SMMT highlight the continued reluctance among car buyers to embrace EVs, even in the face of financial incentives. While the industry continues to push for government-backed measures to accelerate adoption, it’s clear that cost isn’t the only barrier. Our own data also shows that cost is not the only issue – a recent poll of motorists revealed that just 19% say it is ‘very likely’ their next car will be an EV, with 57 percent citing purchase cost as the biggest barrier, 55 percent saying and 43 percent saying that insufficient range is what puts them off.”
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Currently, the cheapest full-size EV sold in the UK is the Dacia Spring, priced at £14,995 (Image: Getty)
Currently, one of the biggest factors causing drivers to think twice before getting behind the wheel of an EV is their cost, with most electric models costing thousands more than their petrol or diesel-powered alternatives.
However, the cost of new models is set to fall significantly, with Dacia and the Stellantis-owned Leapmotor currently offering two electric city cars for under £20,000, and Volkswagen and Renault also having plans to introduce two slightly more advanced models for a similar price in the coming years.
However, in addition to the cost of cars, many potential EV buyers have been put off by the UK’s charging network. According to ZapMap, the UK had over 73,000 charging points by the end of 2024. However, many of these are located in large cities, such as London and Coventry.
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Auto Express called for more chargers to be installed to make running an EV more practical (Image: Getty)
To encourage more motorists to make the switch to an electric model, Tom urged the Government to put a larger focus on expanding the UK’s public charging network.
He added: “The fact that nearly half of prospective buyers would not switch to electric, even with financial support, suggests that more needs to be done beyond just offering incentives. Improving the public charging network, ensuring price parity with petrol and diesel cars, and providing greater clarity on the long-term benefits of EV ownership will be crucial.
“At the same time, manufacturers are currently having to resort to unsustainable discounts to meet the ZEV mandate, which is not a viable long-term strategy.”
According to the SMMT, 21,244 new electric cars were sold in the UK during February 2025 – a 41.7 percent increase compared to 12 months prior.
As a result, EVs accounted for slightly more than a quarter of the new car market, with only petrol models selling at a higher rate, with 39,865 sales recorded over the 28-day period.
However, some motoring experts have predicted that demand for EVs could fall in the coming months, with the Government ending the tax exemption on the models in April 2025.