Over half of Britons are not planning to make the switch to driving an electric car with 86% say they prefer petrol or diesel vehicles. That’s according to a new survey by the price comparison experts at Quotezone.co.uk who quizzed motorists on making the change to an electric vehicle.
57% of those questioned said they were not planning to go electric with 8% claiming they will only make the switch before the 2035 deadline set by the government.
78% said they are not looking forward to the switch to an electric vehicle with only 9% saying they intend to make the switch within the next two years. A fifth (19%) say the switch will have to wait 2-10 years.
By 2035 all newly registered cars in the UK will need to be electric or zero emission vehicles. Petrol and diesel vehicles will no longer be for sale. By 2030 80% of new cars sold in Great Britain will be zero emission with that figure reaching 100% by 2035.
These changes fall under the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate (ZEV) which sets out the percentage of new zero emission cars manufacturers will be required to produce each year up to 2030.
Questioned on why they’re not prepared to make the switch to electric earlier, over a third (36%) of respondents said the cars were too expensive with one in five (21%) saying the charging infrastructure wasn’t good enough – with over 62,000 charging points across just under 33,000 charging locations in the UK.
Other reasons included concerns over mileage (11%), the cost of installing a home charging device (4%) and high insurance costs (2%).
Of all engine types, insurance costs are normally highest for an electric vehicle, currently averaging around £996 annually – that’s 54% more expensive than the average petrol vehicle and 13% more expensive than this time last year. While diesel and petrol insurance premiums look to be starting to decrease slightly throughout 2024 – electric premiums continue to remain high.
| Type / Quarter | 2023Q1 | 2023Q2 | 2023Q3 | 2023Q4 | 2024Q1 | 2024Q2 |
| Electric | £801 | £884 | £994 | £992 | £961 | £996 |
| Diesel | £580 | £659 | £756 | £822 | £786 | £764 |
| Petrol | £511 | £569 | £637 | £717 | £678 | £647 |
Jan 2023 – June 2024
Electric vehicle owners will also be required to pay vehicle tax from April 2025 – currently they are exempt.
Greg Wilson, CEO and electric car insurance expert at Quotezone.co.uk said: “These findings highlight a significant reluctance amongst UK motorists to transition to electric vehicles, despite the fast-approaching deadlines.”
“The hesitation is understandable, based on the cost of electric vehicles and the current charging infrastructure. The average new electric car in the UK is estimated to be around £50,000, that’s over £10,000 more than the average medium-sized petrol car such as a Ford Focus.”
“There are also additional costs to take into account including higher insurance premiums and now vehicle tax.
“The challenge over the coming decade will be to address these concerns and support motorists in the transition to electric vehicles. The future of motoring is electric, but we have some way to go before we achieve the ambitious targets that have been set.”
Have you thought about the switch to Electric yet?
Has the price of car insurance put you off?
Let us know in the comments.
Like all government mandates this has nothing to do with saving the planet and all about total control of the peasantry.
In reality, the majority of drivers in the UK can’t afford to go electric. Initial cost is too high, insurance costs are ridiculous, and charging costs are now at least as dear as petrol and diesel. Add to that the shear inconvenience of trying to travel long distances, finding charging points that are working and range anxiety, they are not the most attractive option.
There is also the increase of instances where electric cars are going on fire and causing serious problems, coupled with the reluctance of recovery companies to collect electric cars due to fire risk (real or perceived).
You can guess that I am not a fan…..
As a pensioner, I run a car mainly for local travel and the occasional trip further – possibly 2500miles per year. Electric cars are too expensive. No wonder the second hand car market has taken off. People are buying the older more expensive/luxurious cars to have the joy in the short term whilst they can afford it.
Thought we’d change over to electric but charging away from home is far too expensive, all more expensive than petrol. They charge 95p/unit at Llanberis. Dearest I’ve come across but normally about 80p. You can get it for 43p off Tesla if you are prepared to pay £8:99/month.
All far more expensive than ICE cars. I see people charging up and wonder how they can afford it?
It’s also inconvenient as you don’t know if chargers will be working or available.
Initial cost is expensive and insurance is high, now we’re paying road tax. Servicing is cheaper so far but thought it was every two years but it’s still annual. Which won’t matter if MOTs continue to be annual.
I drive a self-charging hybrid at the moment, and when I replace it will be getting the same – I don’t mind doing my part, but be damned if I’ll do the Government’s part of “net zero” too! Only if/when they’ve put in the infrastructure to stop me and the country grinding to a halt would I consider running a vehicle on batteries or clockwork or whatever their next “brilliant” idea is to make a miniscule difference to climate change but attempt to make it look like the “United” Kingdom is still a world power – by making us pay for it, as usual!
The disposal and the inability to recycle all the electric car batteries will be the next environmental disaster, in addition to all the mining that’s happening to create the batteries in the first place. And I can’t see an electric car pulling a horse box or a caravan over longer distances without multiple charges and prolonging the journey.
There’s an agenda, and it’s not just an environmental one, as new technology has been found to greatly reduce emissions on existing petrol and diesel cars – but they are not interested in any of it, which raises more questions.
If people dont buy electric cars then surely they will have to scrap their net zero policy. Which is just a con anyway.