The majority of UK consumers admit to being confused by electric vehicle technology and, as a result, many potential customers are not seriously considering an electrified vehicle for a future purchase according to new research commissioned by Ford as part of their UK wide consumer education roadshow, Go Electric.
Electric vehicles currently only account for around 5% of total new car sales in the UK, and the survey highlights there are still significant barriers to mainstream adoption. Chief among these is the apparent lack of appeal to consumers – nearly half (46%) said they don't intend to buy an electric vehicle in the future, while a fifth (21%) say they will likely not consider an electric vehicle for the next five years. A further fifth (20%) said they will likely only purchase in the next 3-5 years.
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The reasons for consumer hesitance to electrified vehicles are mixed, with range anxiety (37%), apparent lack of affordability (53%) and worries about where to charge (51%) being cited as critical deterrents.
But the survey also reveals that there is widespread confusion around the technology itself: only two-thirds (64%) correctly identified that an electric car is a vehicle that has one or more electric motors. Additionally, three-quarters said they are not confident in the difference between hybrid and battery electric cars, while nearly half (43%) say they don't know enough about the technology to consider purchasing an electric or electrified vehicle. In addition, 29% don't think the average person is ready to change to battery electric vehicles.
In answer to this, Ford has created Go Electric, a consumer education roadshow which aims to demystify the questions people have about switching to electrified vehicles and address consumer concerns around hybrid and electric vehicles. The interactive experience is designed to teach consumers more about CO2 emissions, the future of local Clean Air Zones, vehicle charging methods and finding the right vehicle for their lifestyle.
