Survey shows EV drivers reject return to petrol power

A new British survey of electric vehicle drivers has shown less than one percent want to return to internal combustion engine power.

The survey of more than 2000 EV drivers was conducted by Zap-Map, which as it name suggests maps the location of charging points across the UK.

Ninety-one percent of respondents said they would not replace their EVs with a petrol or diesel vehicle and 9 percent said they were not sure, leaving the rest to make the swap back.

The majority of respondents were first-time EV drivers, with 73 percent stating their current vehicle was their first EV. Fifty-two percent made the purchase within the last year.

Driver satisfaction was notably higher for both battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, with EV drivers reporting a satisfaction score of 91 out of 100, compared with only 72 for petrol or diesel vehicles. 

EV models which received the highest satisfaction scored included: the Volkswagen ID.3, Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid, and BMW 3-Series sedan, which all achieved 100 percent.

The Tesla Model 3 (96%); Kia e-Niro (96%); and the Hyundai Kona Electric (94%), Renault Zoe (92%) and Nissan Leaf (90%) weren’t far behind.

The survey results come at a time of record-breaking sales for the electrified vehicles in the UK. Industry figures quoted by Zap-Map showed 9.7 percent of all new car sales in 2020 had a plug, compared to 3.2 percent in 2019 and 1.1 percent in 2015.

“Our latest poll shows the strong and enduring impact of switching to a clean car,” said Zap-Map co-founder Melanie Shufflebotham.

“The evidence in favour of electric vehicles grows more compelling with each one of our surveys, even in a year as disruptive as 2020. 

“The challenge for the automotive industry is to take advantage of the opportunities that EVs present, not only in terms of the rapidly expanding range, but also ensuring that sales staff are knowledgeable enough to present the benefits to their customers. 

“At Zap-Map we monitor the growth of the charging network and it’s clear that many of the historical challenges of owning and running an EV have fallen away.

“The dramatic growth in EV sales in 2020 is one of the good news stories to come out of this difficult year for the car industry.”