EV ownership set to surge

Almost a quarter of adults are considering purchasing an electric vehicle (EV) in the next five years, new research has revealed.

A survey by Sainsbury’s Bank has revealed 41% of 2,006 adults quizzed had their minds plugged in to the idea of EV ownership within the next decade – and 23% in the next five years.

The surge towards alternative fuel may not be instant, though, as only 3% said they would buy an all-electric vehicle in the next six months, compared to 52% opting for petrol power, 22% for diesel and 14% going for hybrid power.

One in 10 did say they were “seriously considering” an electric vehicle for environmental reasons, with 16% saying they would be much more likely to if all petrol stations and motorway services had electric charging points.

Registrations of EVs in the first quarter for 2017 totalled 13,800 — a rise of 17% compared with the same period in 2016. That was reflected in October’s monthly figures too. Sales of alternatively fuelled vehicle sales rose by 36.9% over October 2017 with 8,244 new registrations.