More motorists than ever now want to buy electric or hybrid

BRIGHT SPARK E-vehicle MORE than one in five motorists say they are ready to buy an electric or hybrid car, a survey has found.

Mixed messages from the Government over the future of diesels has driven a surge in interest in eco-friendly motors.

Currently just 2% of drivers own a “green” car. But a survey of more than 20,000 motorists by AA Cars said 22% claimed they are ready to make the switch.

It said there had been a 470% increase in people searching for secondhand hybrid and electric vehicles since 2014.

James Fairclough of AA Cars said: “The appetite for electric and hybrid vehicles has increased significantly over the last few years, which is in no small part due to big technological leaps forward in the space.”

A separate report found three million charge points may be needed to support the use of electric vehicles by 2040.

Aurora Energy Research said there are currently 14,000 public charging points across the UK.

Aurora based its analysis on there being 35 million electric vehicles on the road in 22 years.

However, it was announced last week that Government grants for new electric and hybrid cars will be slashed.