EV SALES AT HIGH BUT DRIVERS STILL CONFUSED

Alternative fuel vehicles, including electric vehicles (EVS) and hybrids, claimed an all-time high share of the new car market last month, accounting for 4.4 per cent of all sales.

While the actual proportion remains small the latest sales show the rapid growth of the AFV market – up more than 25 percent year-on-year and up 29 per while overall registrations fell nearly five per cent in June.

Yet while sales continue to soar many motorists admit to struggling to separate the facts from fiction when it comes to EVS.

Many still hold outdated beliefs about range and charging capabilities while others are doubtful about their reliability and longevity.

A new survey has found that three-quarters of UK drivers think that EVS are useful only for short journeys, despite the likes of the Renault Zoe, Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S offering more than 150 miles on a single charge.

A similar 72 per cent said that a shortage of charging points would stop the zeroemissions vehicles from ever becoming a mainstream choice and half of them declared that EVS were less reliable than their combustion-engined rivals.

Poppy Welch, Head of electric motoring campaigners Go Ultra Low, said: “Data shows that in the UK, the majority of electric car charging takes place at owners’ homes. So, while the public infrastructure is important, domestic charging will continue to be the most significant source of refueling for electric car owners. .

“Fully electric cars are suitable for the vast majority of our day-to-day journeys, with the average daily commute less than 15 miles. The range capabilities of electric cars coming to market is increasing all the time, but for those who regularly travel long distances, plug-in hybrids can provide the perfect balance between range and efficiency.”